India Eyes Homegrown OS to Rival Apple iOs, Google Android
Many have tried to take on Apple and Google’s operating systems. None have succeeded.
The Government of India is working to break the duopoly of Android and iOS by attempting to create its own operating system, according to a report published on Economic Times.
This won’t be the first time someone has taken on the might of Google and Apple and it certainly won’t be the last time either.
Blackberry 10 and Windows Phone tried and failed miserably.
The question is whether this latest challenger has what it takes to succeed. Is there space for one more competitor? Is there anyone fit to wear the third crown?
IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Union Minister of State for Electronics have confirmed that the government is planning a policy that would facilitate the creation of a homegrown mobile operating system.
The government is currently evaluating start-ups and academic institutions to find out who has what it takes to compete with iOS and Android.
“There is no third one [mobile operating system – ed]. Therefore, in a lot of ways there is tremendous interest in the creation of a new handset operating system. We are talking to people. We are looking at a policy for that.” Chandrasekhar stated.
Chandrasekhar also hinted that companies working on an Indian OS may attract the attention of foreign investors as well as domestic ones too, in order to raise capital.
This ambition fits in with PM Modi’s overall mandate to create domestic leaders across multiple industries and product categories, as well as bolster India’s tech industry.
The Indian government had recently unveiled a roadmap to hit the $300 billion mark in electronics manufacturing by 2026, currently it is $75 billion. Likewise, India hopes to hit the $120 billion mark in electronics exports, currently it is $15 billion.