Now, an auto harness plant in Tihar Jail.

A new factory has been opened in South Asia's largest prison. For eight hours a day, six days a week, inmates of Tihar Jail here gather in an airy tin-roofed shed in Jail Two to tape long strands of insulated wire into harnesses for the Alto 800, one of Maruti Suzuki's most popular cars.

The plant, operated by Minda Furukawa Electric (MFE) - a joint venture between Ashok Minda Group, a leading automobile component supplier with an annual turnover of Rs. 3,000 crore, and Furukawa of Japan - is a public-private-partnership between the Tihar prison complex and the private auto component maker.

The project, a first for the Indian auto sector, is part of MFE's corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. On-job training, authorities say, will provide inmates employable skills at the time of their release.

Labour unions, however, caution work behind the prison's high walls will be difficult to monitor and regulate.


BS