Chief Minister MK Stalin and Foxconn Hon Hai Chief Young Liu unveiled a state-of-the-art industrial housing complex, exclusively for 18,000 women workers of iPhone maker Foxconn, at Sriperumbudur in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu. The mega Rs 700 crore project aims to provide a safe, secure, and clean environment for women workers.

The complex, spread across 10 floors and 13 blocks, features amenities like kitchens, dining areas, CCTV cameras, UPS, ETP and play areas.

“The project would ensure women workers receive the best facilities,” Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa told NDTV. The state Minister added that “Apple customers too would be happy looking at the workers being happy”.

Foxconn will pay rental on a per-bed basis. Underscoring Tamil Nadu has Foxconn’s largest footprint in India, Young Liu said, “This is a new beginning. We are proud to be part of sustainability.”

This initiative comes after Foxconn workers protested in 2021 against poor food and unhygienic living conditions after more than a hundred workers suffered from alleged food poisoning. They had taken to the streets, exposing the unacceptable conditions following which Apple had put Foxconn on probation.

Calling the mega project “pioneering”, Chief Minister MK Stalin highlighted Tamil Nadu is the home for 42% of the country’s industrial women work force. Listing a series of women empowerment initiatives he said, “We are striving to make the state a leader in South Asia”.

“Already Tamil Nadu is the second largest economy in the country. It leads in several fronts, according to Niti Aayog data. We want to make Tamil Nadu a $1 trillion economy by 2030,” he said.

The state government’s SIDCO (Small  Industries Development Corporation) has pumped in 170 crore for this, borrowed Rs 500 crore and utilised centre’s Rs 30 crore under affordable housing project.