2011 saw a watershed moment at Syrma that would vastly improve our manufacturing operations. Our primary facility, in Chennai, India, where more than 1,000 workers assemble custom magnetics, high-mix RFID solutions, PCB assemblies, and more, was affected by a noticeable shift in labor demographics. While urban workers in Chennai, population 4.4M, we’re steering away from machine or assembly labor, a significant number of our employees lived far outside the city limits in Bargur. Providing company-sponsored transportation for these workers was proving to be an expanding overhead cost, while many were growing tired of the lengthy daily commute and began seeking other employment options.

As we anticipated a struggle in recruiting production operators to support our growth, a few of our veteran team members suggested we consider a smaller manufacturing plant in the state’s rural area where a fresh pool of workforce might be more accessible. At first, we were skeptical whether these outer regions could provide the necessary resources, workforce, and infrastructure, to deliver world-class technology products. After lengthy internal discussions, we decided to take the plunge and set up a small experiment in Bargur, a rural town of 12K, about 150 miles east of Chennai. Our initial skepticism quickly yielded to excitement as we saw everything fall into place.

Bargur’s Overlooked Workforce

Syrma’s first foray into rural India proved to be a great success. Despite some early concerns, we quickly leased a facility from an enthusiastic property owner who helped us bring the plant to our specifications for high-precision electronics manufacturing. We next recruited local workers who were anxious to learn new job skills. We also solved the commute issues for many existing employees from the Bargur area, bringing their jobs closer to home. Thanks largely to our workforce’s dedication and passionate work ethic, we overcame multiple challenges to rapidly establish a highly productive facility that has become an integral part of our company operations.

From the Bargur plant’s modest start with 250 employees, we now employ over 600 there today. Our parent company, Tandon Group, has spearheaded India’s manufacturing economy for more than four decades. We’ve designed and assembled products and components for some of the world’s most iconic tech companies. When other Indian manufacturers often fostered a reputation for dubious quality, our commitment to high production standards helped establish today’s proud prestige of the Made in India label. We launched India’s first world-class electronics manufacturing services (EMS) company, employed thousands of local workers, and have been a strong advocate for job training for women.

Backed by 40 Years of Expertise

We contribute our 40 years of design and manufacturing expertise spanning multiple diverse markets. We look forward to discussing how we can deliver world-class products for OEMs across the globe. We understand our home Indian market, familiar with its vast regulatory and selling environments. We foster growth opportunities within India through our strong technology incubation ecosystem. We also assist global OEMs in entering the Indian market by leveraging the local supply chain and favorable operating environments for cost reductions.

Our flagship Chennai location opened in 2006 and lies within a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for electronics manufacturing, offering economic incentives for imports and exports. This primary facility is within 90 minutes of the Chennai seaport and 20 minutes to the international airport. Additional road and rail connectivity links to the rest of India and beyond and infrastructure advantages with faster import and export clearances. We also have labor force flexibility, both technical and manual, to scale to demand rapidly.

To learn more about this topic, please contact us.