Silent drive: EV capital Hosur navigates the election circuit

The 70-kilometre (km) drive between Pochampalli and Koothanapalli in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu is picturesque, with lush green terrain and pristine mountains.

- SHINE JACOB

The political fever BATTLEGROUND appears muted in 2024 this part of the country. What catches the attention of outsiders is the newly widened roads, expanding infrastructure, mighty new buildings and shops, upcoming real estate projects, and much more.

The names of these rural Tamil Nadu villages may be unfamiliar to the rest of the country. However, to simplify, Pochampalli is home to the upcoming world's largest electric vehicle (EV) facility by Ola Electric, and Koothanapalli hosts Tata Electronics iPhone assembly units.

These Krishnagiri villages serve as a natural extension of the industrial town of Hosur, around 32 km from the Tata unit and 80 km from the Ola plant.

Barely 500 metres from the Ola Futurefactory, Subramanian (initials not given) runs a tea stall.

While indicating that the mega-unit is not bringing more business to him, he believes that the unit is probably an example of how industry can bring development to rural India. 

When Business Standard visited both these places and the industrial city of Hosur, there were no visible signs of an election that the rest of India is engrossed in.

No posters, no cutouts, no hoardings, and minimal campaigns are probably a sign of how digital campaigns are gaining traction in an industrial township, where 90 per cent of people are taxpayers, according to Hosur Industries Association (HIA), a body of large industries in the region.

"It is a good thing that there are no hoardings, but campaigning is happening everywhere. Fewer posters mean people are moving to other mediums," believes Arvind M Adhi, president, Elkayem Auto Ancillaries, a supplier to TVS Motor Company, Ashok Leyland, and Tractors and Farm Equipment.