Taiwanese firm Foxconn is in talks with the Tamil Nadu government to set up a manufacturing facility here. But it is evaluating the market cautiously because of its past experience here. “Foxconn is in talks with us. But they are worried about the labour unrest here as they had to face the heat in 2010,” said a senior government official.
The officials have told Foxconn that the labour situation in Tamil Nadu is peaceful now and there are more than 4,000 multi national firms here who are operating without any hassles. “We have explained to them that the industrial climate is not bad in Tamil Nadu and also cited examples of others firms that have been successful here,” the official added. It is learnt that the firm intends to make LCD panels for laptops and tablet computers for Sony.
The firm which recently struck a deal to invest $5 billion investment in India and also inked a MoU with the Maharashtra government has 300 acres of land near Chennai and is evaluating possibilities of converting this into domestic tariff area. “This 300-acre plot is different from the facility that the firm had at the Nokia SEZ,” the official said.
Foxconn is not a new name in the State. It was operating out of the Nokia SEZ and manufactured mobile phone panels for Nokia. Foxconn started feeling the pinch when Finnish handset maker suspended its operations here. When the firm decided to wind up operations at the Nokia SEZ there were agitations and labour unrest.
Several rounds of tripartite talks were held with labour unions and the management which eventually failed.
“These minor issues are bothering them but we are assuring them that it was a one odd issue,” the government official said.
