Bell smartphones in India is going to launch a Rs. 500 ($7) smartphone, Freedom 251, tomorrow, February 17th. The company has already launched a Rs. 2999 ($44) 4G LTE capable smartphone running Android (more details here).
Ringing Bells, the company behind the Freedom 251 smartphone is planning to make these phones in India. It seems the Indian Government is subsidizing the cost of the smartphone as well, given that the vendor says that the phone is being manufactured with "immense support" from the government.
But we have already seen such a project fail back in 2011, with the Aakash tablet, where the then Government had planned to make subsidized tablets for Kids in partnership with Canadian firm DataWind.
At present there are no details on the specifications, design of the Freedom 251 but we'll know more tomorrow at the launch event which will be presided over by the Union Minister of Defense, Manohar Parrikar.