Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, Visits DataWind Amritsar Facility

AMRITSAR, INDIA--(Marketwired - Feb 2, 2016) -  During her first mission to India, the Premier of Ontario, Canada, Kathleen Wynne, visited DataWind Innovations' manufacturing facility in Amritsar. Also attending was Mr. Bakshi Ram Arora, Mayor of Amritsar.

During the visit DataWind Inc. (TSX: DW) launched two new DroidSurfer 10-inch and 7-inch Netbooks, both of which come bundled with one year of free Internet access. The Netbooks feature DataWind's patented, cloud-based technology, which reduces bandwidth consumption by factors of over 10 to 30 times, resulting in an affordable, broadband-like Internet experience on any data network -- even on 2G networks that remain prevalent in developing countries.

Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and traded as a publicly listed company on the Toronto Stock Exchange, DataWind is focused on bridging the digital divide through its breakthrough patented technologies, developed in Canada.

Following the product launch, Ms. Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario, Canada said: "My mission to India is an ideal opportunity for us to share knowledge and expertise in key areas, including technology and education. The recent launch by Ontario-based DataWind is an example of the success an Ontario company can have when they go global. DataWind's new initiative will provide affordable Internet and tablets to rural areas and will have a positive impact on education in India."

Mr. Suneet Singh Tuli, President & CEO of DataWind Inc. while thanking the Premier of Ontario said: "I and the entire team of DataWind are humbled by the presence of Honourable Premier of Ontario Ms. Wynne, who has taken her time out to visit our Amritsar facility and witness the launch of the two new DroidSurfer 10-inch and 7-inch Netbooks."

The DroidSurfer 10-inch and 7-inch Netbooks are tablets, having front facing camera, with Android 4.4.2 operating system and tactile responsive keyboards. The DroidSurfer 10-inch and 7-inch Netbooks have 8GB, 4GB internal space respectively with features like Wifi Hotspot, Wifi Direct and Support for external devices (KBD/mouse/Mem key).

As a leader in low-cost Internet connectivity, Datawind's mission is to provide Internet access, which has the ability to create tremendous social and economic benefits, to billions of unconnected people. Mr. Tuli continued: "We at DataWind want to cater to the forgotten billion. Once you get past the upper and middle classes, you've got a billion people who are not part of the media, they're not part of the political class, and are literally out of the system."

DataWind has taken a major step in the direction of realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Make in India." The company has rolled out half a million Internet-enabled tablets and smartphones from its production facility that was opened in July 2015 in Amritsar. "We expect to continue expanding our dominant position in the tablet market by increasing the range of products manufactured at the Amritsar facility. We not only wish to supply made in India products but also generate highly skilled employment locally," added Mr Tuli.

To meet the educational challenges in India, DataWind is constantly working towards addressing the key demands of a large population, whose poor communities often face disproportionally high illiteracy rates. The company is focused on expanding the roll-out of its tablets for the students, which are designed to be affordable, deliver high quality educational content and free apps, and also to provide Internet access at the lowest cost or for free, where possible.

"As one of the world's fastest growing economies, India is facing many challenges including lack of educational infrastructure, teaching materials and trained teachers. By providing free tablets to students of AkaalPurkh Ki Fauj (APKF) public school and Fateh Academy, we are doing our bit in bridging the gap," said Mr. Tuli.

About DataWind
DataWind is a leader in providing affordable mobile Internet connectivity in emerging markets. The company's patented, cloud-based technology reduces up to 97% the amount of data needed for web browsing, providing a broadband experience on any network - even on legacy 2G networks that are still prevalent in developing countries. DataWind also provides economical smartphones and tablets that come bundled with one year of unlimited Internet access, making it the largest tablet provider in India only behind Samsung. DataWind's unique solution offers broad social and economic benefits for the billions of people around the world for whom an Internet connection was previously out of reach. DataWind is traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (DW.TO). For more information visit www.datawind.com and ir.datawind.com.

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