HCL Infosystem, one of India's leading player in personal computer, is planning a slew of initiatives to increase PC penetration among rural mass.

The company has developed a PC that can run on car battery, effectively solving the problem of unavailability of power in the rural area. Solar or renewable energy packs could provide the power needed for recharging.

Ajai Chowdhry, chairman and CEO of HCL Infosystem, said the battery needed only two to three hours of charging and it was a more effective tool than UPS.

"One of the major hurdle faced by the industry in the villages that power supply is erratic and unreliable. This has resulted in lower PC penetration in India. To address the issue of e-governance and building of a sustainable IT infrastructure, such tools could be very effective," he said at the sidelines of 'Infocom 2004', co-organised by ABP-Nasscom, on Friday.

HCL has also taken initiative to bring down the cost of PCs in India. "The price has touched as low as Rs 15,000. We can go around Rs 10,000 if states and the Centre offer tax breaks," he added.

The company if offering innovative financing scheme to increase PC ownership among common people. It has launched a scheme at Rs 499 instalment per month.

The company sold about 400,000 PCs and it is expecting a 30 per cent growth in sales. The company's Pondicherry capacity is being expanded and the work on this front would be completed by February 2005.

Chowdhry called for changes in PC depreciation norms from three years to one year. "If this is done, more PCs can be offered for the rural sector," he added.