The states are constructing social infrastructure for the workers of the massive facilities as India aims to reach $300 billion in electronics manufacturing in the upcoming years, including $100 billion in exports.

Since the workers live in large numbers in facilities on the outskirts of large cities, they have few or no rejuvenation options currently.

K. Senthil Raj, managing director of the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) says, “We have earmarked a 1.5-acre land parcel as a commercial property right next to the housing complex. We will allow it through the SIPCOT online portal soon for interested private players to construct a shopping complex and operate it for the benefit of the workers living there. There is also an additional 2.5 acres available that we're leaving open for future expansion.”

The shopping complex along with several other initiatives like a huge park, an open gym, amphitheater, yoga space, walker's pathway, and 'healing garden,' as well as amenities like sports facilities and reading rooms are being constructed at or near the Tamil Nadu government's housing initiative for 18,720 women employed by Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn, a key supplier to iPhone-maker Apple, at Vallam Vadagal near Chennai,” adds K. Senthil.

Schools, colleges, hospitals, public housing, sports facilities, parks, leisure and entertainment areas, and government offices and services are all considered social infrastructure. The strong social infrastructure that these industries were built around has been the foundation of nations like China and Taiwan's extraordinary growth in the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) sector.

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology secretary, S Krishnan says, “For India to scale further in the EMS segment, a lot will hinge on the social infrastructure we build. We have seen some states step up to provide large industrial housing initiatives, but we must also look at developing allied services and facilities.”