Monday, June 18, 2001		Article

Media Lab targets India
Katie Dean

THE Massachusetts Institute of Technology is considering opening a media lab in India that will focus on developing technologies for the rural poor, says Wired News.

The country is the likely choice to host Media Lab Asia, beating out China, South Korea and Singapore.

"We’re in very active discussions with the government of India to set up a media lab," said Alexandra Kahn, a spokesperson for the MIT Media Lab in Massachusetts. "It would likely be in the form of a network of smaller labs set up in different parts of the country."

The Media Lab is expected to finalise the plans over the next several months, Kahn said.

"One of the reasons for spreading it out across India would be to address local concerns and needs," she said.

The Indian government, MIT and private industry would fund the projecta. Last year, MIT opened its Media Lab Europe in Dublin.