India is about to get their own supercar (well sort of) if what we have heard is true. A very interesting story has come to light, which suggests that the DC Design Avanti could be unveiled next year, but only time will tell if the cars price in India will make it a success or failure?

Even though the Avanti could get its debut at one of the big auto shows in 2014, but is at least a couple of years off. The reason for this delay is because it will take until next year for DC Design to get the facilities set up ready for production, but once things are in place then we could expect to see 4,000 units, because according to Economic Times of India the Indian car manufacturer wants to make this more special.

Once this facility is up and running it will make it the fourth from DC in India and will not only produce the Avanti, but other models from the company as well. We mentioned this will be India’s first supercar, but that’s not entirely true, as the Avanti will be severely underpowered to be classed as one of these exotic vehicles.

The DC Design Avanti specs are limited, with just a small amount of information known about the engine, which is to be a 2.0-liter Ford EcoBoost engine, which will produce about 265 horsepower – I know small hatchbacks with more power than that.

The DC Design Avanti price in India is expected to be about 25-30 lakh rupees, which converts to $46,000-$55,000 US. The target buyer will be young executives, but not certain how popular this will compare to alternatives from European car manufacturers?

Our readers in India would know the Micromax Canvas HD Android phone very well, which would be due to the impact it made in India thanks to some good PR by the company behind the handset. This created hype and a short delay helped to create massive demand for the latest Micromax Android phone.

The smartphone launched last month and saw over 9,000 orders within 24 hours, which is impressive considering the Indian phone company behind the device. The hype had been backed by some impressive specs on the Micromax A116 Canvas HD that includes an 8MP camera, 720p display, and quad-core processor.

One problem a number of users are reporting with Micromax Android phones is the lack of updates, which is exactly what one article has touched on over the last few days. The author highlights the fact that previous handsets are waiting for Jelly Bean, although the good news for Canvas HD is it arrived with this update pre-installed.

We can see the reasons why people like Micromax Android phones. The good price points help and the smartphones are backed with decent specs, but it’s worth pointing out that this trend of few updates is one experienced by most users using Android phones in India.

The same Android update problems also affect other Indian players like Celkon, Karbonn and many more. Some users in India understand that waiting for Android updates on these handsets isn’t a good idea, and others pretty much count it out when buying the handset.

You can see a demo video for the Micromax Canvas HD below, so feel free to watch it and share a comment.

How do you feel about the lack of Android updates in India for Micromax phones, and do you feel the situation is much better in other parts of the world?

The Galaxy Grand is the latest addition to the world of cell phones from Samsung and this year has started as it means to go on with the new device being shown off in India. The new handset will be available in India from February and will be simultaneously released to key markets around the globe with a target audience of youth and company executives from 18 to 35 years old.

Other flagship devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Note 2 have given the company cause to stay with the similar design, which takes some of the best elements from both handsets to come up with another great addition to the world of mobile phones. Highlighting this recent presentation, The Hindu documents the specifics of the Samsung Galaxy Grand, which will be available for around Rs.21,500 or your country’s equivalent.

Samsung’s Galaxy Grand is powered by the Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean operating system and has a slim 5-inch screen with an ergonomic design for comfort. It runs on a 1.2 GHz dual core processor and contains a multi-window feature, which is ideal for multitasking as well as running numerous applications simultaneously. Regarded as one of the world’s top performing dual SIM smartphones, the Galaxy Grand gives users the opportunity to manage two phone numbers from a single phone.

This allows owners to receive calls on one SIM number simultaneously taking a call from another and Vice-President of Samsung Mobile, Asim Warsi, classes Galaxy Grand as a great smartphone experience and also mentions the value proposition. He feels this will promote the growth of the smartphone market in India and has the familiar preference that consumers appreciate. The next few months should be an exciting time with Nokia introducing its high-end Lumia 920, 820 and 620 and with the aggressive ongoing promotion of Apple’s iPhone 5.

Have you been looking to upgrade your Samsung Galaxy S3, but want a similar style phone? The Galaxy Grand could be one replacement, unless you are waiting for the Galaxy S4.

Expectations are very high for the Eon, and for good reason. However, the success of the car will depend on many things, but the most important being the price. There is speculation that the price will be around Rs 2.5 lakh, and for that you get a car that is not short on features and a stunning interior – although the exterior is equally nice.

There won’t be much power from that small engine, but this would be impractical on many of India’s roads, it is for this reason why sales should impress Hyundai India. So that price and the 21.1 kmpl when compared to that of the Alto’s 19.73 kmpl should in theory force its rival down.

OnCars is there now ready to start live blogging during the event; it’s like their version of an Apple keynote. They also offer you updates on both Facebook and Twitter. Finally all the speculation will be put to rest on specs, price and an official launch date. How will the Hyundai Eon fare in this tough Indian market?

Update: It’s live as we speak

Thankfully the small Aakash gadget will solve this issue, due to it becoming the world’s cheapest tablet. It will become popular with students, but where it will make an impact is with India itself, as it shows that they can make it as a technology innovator. Okay, so it’s not in the league of Apple and its iPad, but they are for totally different markets.

WSJ has been talking to those who will be manufacturing the tablet and has said that this is a device that has been made solely for the Indian market. However, things would have a different outcome if the Aakash was sold for its true $50 price, but the Indian government is subsidizing it to make it more affordable. The launch price will be around $35, but could fall yet again. Once the nation is hooked on the device, only then will the company be able to start increasing the price – but ever so slowly.

The specs for the Sky tablet are not very impressive, but they don’t need to be, as they will not have to do the kind of work that an iPad, Galaxy Tab or Xoom has to do. The 7-inch screen is resistive, Android 2.2 will be running the show, the processor has a speed of 366MHz, 256MB of RAM, 2GB flash memory and another two on a microSD card, Wi-Fi and 3G option and finally two USB ports.

So you can see that benchmark scores will be very low on this, but students and those from poorer background in India will love the world’s cheapest tablet. We have high expectations; we just hope that the nation embraces it.

This is not the first time that we have been told that the world’s cheapest computer was getting its release, as there have been a series of delays. We were starting to see this tablet as a mythical creature, as we all know about them but never get to see them – sorry for the analogy. The reasons behind the constant delays were due to issues with manufacturing, but Economic Times says that they have all been resolved now.

As yet we still do not know the name of the new tablet – much like the iPhone – but we should know next Wednesday. We do not have any idea as to the specs and what the final version will look like, it’s like they think it is a new iPad or something. Having said that, if it does get released on the 5th of October, then the tablet will be a big deal for students who are unable to afford the cost of the more expensive models.

We often forget that all most of us want to do is be able to connect to the Internet and to perform a few basic functions, which is just what the $35 tablet has been designed to do. The likes of the iPad, Galaxy Tab, Xoom, PlayBook etc are all considered an overkill for most owners, but just like the fact that they have one.

Now a few months on and this method has had little effect, so in a similar attempt the Indian Telecoms Regulator intends to clamp down on unwanted text messages being received by capping the number of text messages sent in India to no more than 100 per day. That’s per SIM card for pre-paid or no more than 3,000 per month post-paid.

Many businesses are proving to be unhappy with this method as they use text messages as a regular form of communication amongst their staff. For the main targets that the clamp down is aimed at, the telemarketers, this will hopefully stop them from bombarding Indian users with unsolicited messages. An exception will be made for the businesses like social networks, directory services and e-ticketing agencies.

Text message spam is a major issue in Asia with it being as much as a third of all text messages sent being spam in some countries. As TG Daily explains, China took similar action to India two years ago, although their restrictions weren’t’ as limiting allowing 200 messages per hour and 1000 per day. Of course there are still ways of getting around such restrictions as always, one of which is just to own more than one SIM card.

What are your thoughts on these restrictions? Do you think it is a good strategy to cut out unwanted texts or is it too extreme?

We say this because India is still an emerging market, and small cars are what most drivers in the country will be aiming to purchase – due to the fact of low-wage levels. The Tata Nano is currently the world’s cheapest car, but it is very basic in terms of technology and features. However, Honda has looked closely at what the Indian driver wants, and has developed the Brio with this in mind.

According to Daily.Bhaskar, the Honda Brio will cost Rs 3.95 lakh – Rs 5.1 lakh depending on which model you choose: there are five in all. You will see by some of these images on the official Honda India website that the small Brio is practical for driving on those busy roads. What has surprised us is just how much space the interior has when compared to some rival cars of the same size.

The entry-level model comes with a 1.2-liter engine, offering 88hp, but it’s not all about speed. What we seem to love the most is the simple styling, small turning circle, and how five adults can fit in – as long as they are not all over 6-foot. Those passengers will fall in love right way with the cockpit, as it features an asymmetrical design with a chrome and silver finish.

Where the Brio excels is behind the scenes, as more than 80 percent of materials used for the vehicle have been sourced locally – which helps to keep costs down.

We have been waiting for a while now on the official release date for the Mahindra XUV500, so WheelsUnplugged were happy to report that the unveil will be on September 28, 2011, which is this Wednesday. Then the day after there will be an announcement on price, sales strategy and what technology we can expect behind these new vehicles. Hype surrounding car launches in India have certainly increased over the past few years, and we can only see things improving even more due to this being an emerging market.

Those lucky enough to attend the unveil at Pune will be able to visit the manufacturing facility where the SUVs will be built, and even get a chance to test drive one. However, a lucky member of the public managed to guess the correct date for the release of the XUV500; so he will also be able to visit the plant where they are built.

This is the first SUV to be built in India, so this is a really big deal for not only Mahindra, but also the Indian car market as a whole. It is no secret that Indian cars from the past did not have to go through tough tests like they do in the US or Europe, but you will be happy to know that the XUV500 has gone through them all.

A huge amount of technology has gone into the design to make certain that the new SUV will offer quality, safety and emission standards. The future is looking bright for the Indian car market.

The Rs.5.75 lakh is for the entry-level model, whereas the Rs.7.68 lakh price is for the top end model. Currently Nissan India has declined to offer any sort of sales expectations for the Sunny, but they must be confidant, as this is an emerging market and the price is not that far out of reach for many of the drivers in India. Okay, so it’s not going to be as popular as the Tata Nano but not all drivers in that country are looking for cheap transport.

Nissan aims to sell nine models in India, five will be built in the country, while the other four will be imported by 2012. The automaker also aims to source 85 percent of the parts needed to build these vehicles in India, with 40 percent of them coming from suppliers in Chennai. The Sunny is the second vehicle to be manufactured in India, the Micra was the first.

Bookings for the Nissan Sunny will begin today, with customers due to take possession of these vehicles on October 3, 2011. To further help these sales, Nissan India will also export the Sunny to parts of the Middle East and Africa. However, as yet we do not know when this will begin. These latest moves will certainly help the third largest Japanese carmaker to move up the rankings a little, but not sure if they have what it takes to trouble Honda or Toyota?