Sriperumbudur comes alive after 7 p.m. Fast-food carts light up, groups of migrant workers stream out of factory gates towards their accommodation or to dinner, and narrow lanes fill with activity in a town built around manufacturing. There is a sense of relief on the faces after the toil of a full day. Tucked between the automobile and electronics plants that have made this Tamil Nadu industrial corridor famous are three- and four-storey buildings housing paying-guest accommodation for men and women. Many of these buildings have been put up by local landlords to meet the demand from workers who want to live close to their workplaces. Each resident pays a minimum of ₹2,000 a month to share space with at least four other people.

‘Earn and learn’

However, Ramesh (name changed), a 23-year-old from Bhopal, does not have to worry much about this. He arrived in Sriperumbudur a year and a half ago after his elder brother told him about an “earn and learn” programme at a multinational manufacturing company. The four-year programme starts with a monthly pay of around ₹10,000. About ₹1,000 is deducted for food and transport and another ₹1,000 goes into a recurring deposit scheme, he said.

Over the four years, Ramesh will work in several departments of the company. He expects to be offered a job at the end of the programme. His goal is what workers on the programme call “4+2”. That means four years of training, followed by two years of work experience, after which he hopes to leave with a diploma and an experience certificate. For Ramesh, there is one less thing to worry about while he is in Sriperumbudur. He does not have to find a place to stay in a town where Hindi is not widely spoken. The company provides him accommodation.

Karan Chauhan (name changed), 19, joined the same programme at the same company about two months ago. He was sent by his family in Mumbai after personal circumstances forced him to quit a diploma course. Like Ramesh, he is among the young migrants who have come to Sriperumbudur for work and training. For them, the industrial corridor offers a job, accommodation, and the possibility of a better future.

Well-managed services

It is this growing migrant workforce, ranging from young trainees to experienced factory workers, that a small group of companies is now seeking to serve through professionally managed accommodation and other services.

In accommodation units run by professional operators, there are bunk beds, some space to play indoor games, food arrangements, spacious rooms, and facilities for yoga. Records of residents are maintained, adding another layer of organisation to what is otherwise a largely informal housing market around the industrial corridor.

Companies have traditionally used a mix of in-house accommodation, rented rooms, and private hostels to house workers around industrial clusters. Now, companies such as Nia and Manzl are building businesses around the same requirement. Nia describes itself as something broader than a housing provider. “We are labour infrastructure with a roof, not housing with jobs attached,” the company said in written responses to questions from The Hindu. Its model combines managed living with work continuity and everyday essentials such as meals and groceries and telehealth.

Wide client base

Nia said it currently operates across four industrial corridors (NCR, Chakan in Pune, Bengaluru, and Sriperumbudur) and serves more than 10,000 members. Its client base spans automotive, electronics, manufacturing, logistics, and IT services. Manzl, which operates in Tada and Sri City and has identified a location at Oragadam, describes itself as an industrial housing platform. Its business covers construction, facility management, and a digital worker management platform. It provides accommodation ranging from dormitory-style housing for shop-floor workers to corporate housing for white-collar employees.

Both companies say living conditions can affect whether or not workers remain with an employer.

Nia describes worker infrastructure as “a strategic lever on retention and output”. Manzl co-founder Rohit George said the demand is being driven by the location of new manufacturing plants and the scale of hiring. He pointed to industrial clusters such as Sriperumbudur-Oragadam, Sanand (Gujarat), Chakan (Maharashtra), and Narasapura (Karnataka), where plants are being built, away from established housing markets. He said some clients who previously rented rooms from local landlords, operated their own hostels, and separately arranged food, housekeeping and security, are now looking to hand the entire function to a single provider.

“Today a client hands over the whole thing to one provider. The building, the services therein, and the reporting layer on top,” he said. “The shift is from procuring rooms to outsourcing a function.”

The services being sought now go beyond accommodation, according to Manzl. They include food, housekeeping, security, utilities, transport, connectivity, and recreation. Its technology platform also provides employers with information on occupancy and rostering, along with onboarding, offboarding, and a multilingual helpdesk for residents.

Manzl said electronics and semiconductors are seeing the fastest adoption, followed by automotive and components. It expects textiles to see more outsourcing of accommodation too, given its large factory workforce and historical reliance on in-house hostels.

The pitch to employers is partly built around retention. Nia said its internal cohort-based tracking shows worker retention rising from around 53% to about 70% among members on professionally managed living, measured through Day-30 retention. The company also stresses that better accommodation is not a substitute for better wages. “Infrastructure complements better wages. It doesn’t compensate for lower ones,” Nia said.

Secure housing

The company’s model differs from conventional employer accommodation in another way. Nia says workers do not automatically lose their accommodation if they leave their employer. A worker can continue living in a Nest while looking for another job. The membership can shift from an employer-linked arrangement to a direct one until the worker is placed again. “Losing a job shouldn’t mean losing your home too, especially for a migrant worker far from family,” the company said.

Elevar Equity, which has invested in Nia, sees the model as part of a wider formalisation of the ecosystem around migrant workers.

Managing partner of the firm Jyotsna Krishnan said workers often migrate to industrial centres with specific savings goals. Poor housing, food, and other services can eat into those earnings.

Emerging category

Elevar describes “comprehensive worker infrastructure” as an emerging category. It sees an opportunity to formalise the existing ecosystem of unorganised hostels and fragmented services rather than simply replace it. It also sees a change in how companies view worker attrition. The investor said the problem is increasingly being viewed not only as a recruitment or wage issue but also as an infrastructure issue. But the shift is not widespread yet.

An executive of a large manufacturing company, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the company maintains its own systems for housing and managing workers and does not currently use external operators of this kind.

Very large companies generally do not opt for such arrangements because their requirements around scale, specifications, and control are different, the executive said. The company could consider external arrangements if need be, but is not doing so at present.

A second executive from another large manufacturer said the company uses a mix of internal and external arrangements. The executive also stressed the importance of organisations caring for contract and migrant workers in a manner comparable to their direct employees.

That suggests the emerging market for specialised accommodation operators is not yet replacing employer-run housing across the manufacturing sector. Different companies are using different models based on their requirements.

The emergence of these companies comes as the government looks at worker accommodation as part of the infrastructure needed for manufacturing. The Union Budget 2024-25 proposed rental housing with dormitory-style accommodation for industrial workers through a public-private partnership model, with viability-gap funding and commitments from anchor industries.

NITI Aayog’s December 2024 report on ‘Site Adjacent Factory Employee Accommodation’ recommended a market-driven model for long-term dormitory-style accommodation near workplaces. It envisages private developers playing a role in developing and operating such housing, with government support including viability-gap funding. The report said such accommodation could facilitate labour mobility, improve productivity, and worker welfare and retention. It also recommended treating workers’ accommodation as critical infrastructure for India’s manufacturing growth.

Only complementary

For Nia, the role of private operators is complementary to the existing welfare systems rather than a replacement for them. The company said it operates alongside schemes such as One Nation One Ration One Card, ESIC, EPFO, and e-Shram.

Nia also distinguishes its role from the employer’s statutory responsibilities. It said its role is to execute the legally required floor around accommodation and welfare and then provide services beyond those minimum requirements.

For Ramesh and Karan, much of this distinction is not visible. What matters to them is the job, the room, and the opportunity to build a future away from home.

For Mahalakshmi R., who has been riding a bike taxi for nearly two years, every increase in fuel and food prices directly cuts into her daily earnings. What was once enough for three modest meals a day is no longer sufficient. “I earn an average of ₹700 to ₹1,000 each day, depending on the number of rides. I spend around ₹200 on fuel for my vehicle. Earlier I could manage food expenses within ₹250 a day. Now I skip meals because the prices of everything have gone up. Even idlis cost much more now,” she says, as she waits for the next ride request.

As fuel costs climb and food becomes increasingly unaffordable, fresh concerns over a possible return to large-scale work-from-home arrangements have added another layer of uncertainty for drivers like her, whose livelihoods depend entirely on people commuting to office each day.

From Chennai to the southernmost districts of Tamil Nadu, rising food prices are steadily tightening household budgets, with restaurants and eateries quietly revising menu rates upward every few weeks. The burden on the public has intensified further with hikes in fuel prices — thrice in 10 days. On Saturday (May 23), the Union government increased the prices (petrol: ₹105.31 and diesel: ₹96.98 in Chennai). This increase came after a hike of ₹3 on May 15 and 90 paise on May 19. The availability of LPG cylinders continues to remain a concern, with several consumers reporting delivery delays stretching up to two weeks in certain cases.

Takeaway troubles

From middle-class families and bachelors to hostel students and information technology professionals dependent on daily takeaways, people across Tamil Nadu say the cost of putting food on the table has risen sharply, even as incomes and salaries have largely remained stagnant.

“Ever since the LPG supply crisis began, small restaurants and roadside eateries have been among the worst affected. Larger food chains with multiple outlets across the State were able to manage the situation better owing to their scale and supply networks. However, these major brands were also the first to increase food prices and reduce portion sizes. Smaller eateries have followed suit only in the past two weeks,” said a food consultant.

In Triplicane, a Chennai neighbourhood with a large number of men’s mansions housing job seekers and migrant workers, residents say their daily food expenses have increased by ₹50 to ₹125 in recent weeks. Many who moved to the city in search of employment say affordable food was one of the reasons they chose to stay in mansions despite their cramped living conditions. “We stay in mansions because it helps us cut down on room rent and manage our expenses better. But eating has now become more expensive than lodging,” said Rajavel, a resident of a mansion in the locality. Men living in mansions across the State face the same crisis.

Young professionals and Gen Z employees working in the IT sector say rising travel and food expenses are beginning to strain their monthly budgets. Archana, a software professional employed at a small IT firm along Chennai’s Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), said recent workplace changes added to her financial burden. “After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement encouraging work-from-home, our company reduced its employee transport services and asked the staff members to arrange commute on their own. Now, I must bear my daily travel expenses too,” she said. According to industry experts, the State has over 10 lakh people working in the IT sector, including many from other States.

Silent surge

A cooking oil industry source said that in the past few days, the prices of cooking oils, including palm and sunflower oils, had gone up by ₹15 a litre. Amid rumours that excise duty on cooking oil imports would be increased, there has been panic buying and hoarding. “Since countries that mainly supply cooking oil to India, including Malaysia and Indonesia, have diverted their excess stocks to make biodiesel, the nation’s supplies too are likely to be hit. They too want to conserve foreign exchange by not buying crude oil. If crude prices go down, the price of palm oil too will go down,” he said. Besides homes, palm oil is mainly used in the hotel industry for cooking and making snacks.

Salem Shevapet Maligai and Shop Varthaga Nala Sangam president S.C. Natarajan said that owing to favourable seasonal rainfall, the prices of most grocery items remained stable, with only a few commodities witnessing an increase of ₹5 to ₹10 a kg. Compared with March this year, the price of ‘toor dal’ has increased from ₹125 to ₹130 a kg, while Bengal gram has risen from ₹85 to ₹90 a kg. The price of roasted gram has also gone up from ₹90 to ₹100 per kg, he added.

Firewood cost rising too

Hotels that shifted from LPG to firewood are now grappling with rising firewood cost too. With demand for ‘seemai karuvelam’ (Prosopis juliflora) increasing sharply, the prices have risen from ₹6,000 to ₹13,000 per tonne, Madurai-based wholesale trader A. Karthikeyan said, adding that his customer base had grown from 50 to 70 since the gas shortage began.

Peanut hulls, another alternative biofuel widely used by sweet shops in the region, have also become costlier following the LPG price hike. Known for generating the intense heat required for continuous boiling of sugar syrup, the fuel is commonly used in sweet-making units. M. Kannagaraj, a sweet shop owner in Madurai, said the price of a 30-kg gunny bag of peanut hulls had risen from ₹240 to ₹280. He feared the price might increase further if LPG rates continued to rise.

Rising prices of essential commodities, LPG, and fuel have been affecting the operations of parotta shops in Tiruchi’s Edamalaipatti Pudur area. Shops that once started preparing parottas from early afternoon have begun staggering cooking schedules to optimise the use of gas cylinders and firewood stoves. Residents say the impact is already visible in food prices. “Not long ago, a parotta cost ₹10. It rose to ₹15 earlier this year and now sells for ₹25. Today, buying six parottas costs more than the gravy that accompanies them,” said a resident of Edamalaipatti Pudur.

Cloud kitchens, which rely heavily on app-based food orders, are also facing mounting pressure amid the rising operational cost and shrinking profit margins. Tiruchi alone has nearly 250 cloud kitchens, and several of them are reportedly on the verge of shutting down, according to S. Sundaresan, district secretary of the Tiruchi Hotel Association. “Subscription-based meal services have been among the worst hit by the price rise because we cannot increase rates after customers have already paid their monthly fee. At best, we may have to reduce the number of deliveries or impose a surcharge on future subscriptions,” said S. Siva of Mukkani Tiruchi, a fresh-cut fruits and salads subscription service. Several women, particularly those running cloud kitchens and subscription-based food services across the State, fear that the continuing rise in the fuel and raw material costs could severely affect their already modest monthly savings and threaten the sustainability of their businesses.

Delivery workers in trouble

Food and e-commerce delivery workers say the steady rise in fuel prices is pushing them deeper into financial stress, even as their earnings remain stagnant. Many complain that while the cost of petrol continues to rise, companies have done little to offset the burden on gig workers. “There are far more delivery workers now than there were two years ago, but the number of bookings we receive has reduced sharply. Our incomes have remained the same while fuel expenses keep increasing,” said a delivery executive, expressing concern over the growing struggle to sustain daily expenses.

Many consumers say the new government must urgently intervene to regulate soaring food prices, accusing sections of the hotel industry of increasing rates at the slightest excuse while rarely reducing them when commodity prices fall. “Hotel associations are always quick to cite rising costs and hike prices, but when market prices come down, customers never see any reduction on their bills. The common man is being squeezed from all sides. Someone must step in and control these arbitrary price hikes,” they said.

Supplies stretched

An expert on LPG said that only 60%-70% of the requirement was at present bottled at the plants owing to the reduction in supplies. “There were times when bottling plants worked to fill up 120% of bookings and distributors still had backlogs. At present, the oil marketing companies (OMCs) seem to be stretching whatever supplies of LPG they have. In urban areas, though booking is allowed after 25 days as opposed to 45 days in rural areas, it takes nearly 40 days for the cylinder to reach the customer. It is the same with rural consumers.”

Distributors say they get only one load of bottles where two are needed. OMCs have been saying they have enough stock and there is no need to panic, but they are not permitting new 14.2-kg domestic connections because diversions happen rampantly. “This is mostly done by the delivery boys with the connivance of a few distributors,” said an oil industry source.

(With inputs from Sabari M. in Salem and Namakkal; Nahla Nainar and Ancy Donal Madonna in Tiruchi; P.V. Srividya in Krishnagiri and Hosur; S.P. Saravanan in Erode; Beulah Rose in Madurai; and Deepa Ramakrishnan in Chennai.)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during the ruling Workers’ Party Congress in Pyongyang, on February 19, 2026. Photo Credits: Korea News Service via AP

Bhubaneswar:

A group of 35 labourers from Odisha alleged that they were held captive by a company in Laos for which they were working. Urging the government to bring them back, the labourers in a video clip said the plywood company stopped its operations about one-and-a-half-months ago, but they were neither allowed to return nor paid wages.

The workers from Rajkanika block of Kendrapara district alleged that the company had also forcibly taken away their passports. After it was brought to the notice of the state government, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed officers concerned to make arrangements for bringing them back home.

Following this, the state labour commissioner took up the issue with the Indian embassy in Laos, a CMO official said.

The embassy informed the Odisha government that all steps will be taken for the safe return of the workers to India, he said.

The labourers had sent the video clip to the people in their village, who contacted the local MLA. The legislator in turn brought it to the notice of the state government.

“We have no money or food to eat. We are also not allowed to return,” said Saroj Palai, one of the labourers held captive in the Southeast Asian country.