South Korean electronics major Samsung Electronics will invest an additional Rs 1,000 crore in its manufacturing facility at Sriperumbudur, near Chennai, Tamil Nadu industries minister TRB Rajaa informed the state assembly.
“This additional investment reinforces their faith in the labour force of Tamil Nadu,” Rajaa said in a post on X.
A Samsung India source told FE that a “significant chunk” of the fresh investment will be directed toward increasing the plant’s workforce.
The Sriperumbudur facility currently employs over 2,000 workers and produces a range of consumer electronics, including televisions, washing machines, and air conditioners. It is a crucial component of Samsung’s India operations, contributing nearly one-third of the company’s $12 billion revenue in FY23. Samsung also operates a major smartphone manufacturing unit in Noida.
The latest investment comes even as the Chennai facility grapples with ongoing labour unrest. Earlier this week, workers affiliated with the Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU) held protests at Sungavarchatram, near Sriperumbudur. Their demands include the reinstatement of 23 suspended workers, enforcement of a previously agreed wage pact, and implementation of a five-day work week.
The union, backed by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), issued a fresh strike notice earlier this month—just weeks after ending a month-long strike on March 7. The 23 workers in question were suspended during that earlier strike.
Labour tensions at the facility first escalated in September 2024, when over 1,200 employees launched a sit-in demanding better wages, improved working conditions, and recognition of SIWU, which at the time had not yet been registered. The strike ended on October 16 following multiple rounds of negotiations involving state officials and ministers. Workers resumed duties the following day.