India, Sept. 20 -- In 2024, I had stopped briefly at the memorial of Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur near Chennai on my way to Bengaluru. I spoke to half-a-dozen people, who could converse in English. My taxi driver told me that the locals were more excited about a massive factory in the city than about the late prime minister's memorial. There was a buzz about a hostel-cum-dormitory that was being built for the upcoming plant's female employees, who would number in thousands.

Near Bengaluru, just like around Chennai, the locals in Devanahalli, a town that is an hour drive away, were similarly animated about a new factory. A Sriperumbudur-style housing colony that could accommodate 1,00,000 female workers was almost ready. Both Devanahalli...