The Indian government is aiming to drive the development of an app ecosystem for its low-cost Aakash tablet computer, reports the Economic Times.

A four-strong technical committee has been formed to look at the best way to seed a software ecosystem which will provide apps for the Android-based device, focusing on learning and education.

The committee also includes members from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing and the Ministry of Human Resource Development, which funds the Aakash.

Committee member and professor at IIT Madras, Ashok Jhunjhunwala, said around 25 academic institutions and private companies have already signed up to build apps for the Aakash, with the aim to double that number by March.

IIT Madras is also training around 5,000 engineering students in how to build apps for the tablet and how they could potentially create businesses to do so.

The government buys the current version of the Aakash for INR2,263 ($41) but sells it to students for INR1,150. It is preloaded with basic productivity and gaming apps.