Semiconductor firms setting up operations in Sanand are on the hunt for top talent, not just to run their factories but their kitchens as well. Some of these companies are on the lookout for cooks who can whip up dishes such as Filipino adobo and Malaysian laksa to feed their top executives. Many of those steering these operations are from the Philippines and Malaysia.
Sanand is turning into India’s outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) hub with Micron, Kaynes and CG Semi setting up plants there.
The two Southeast Asian nations have proven to be the ideal hunting ground for expat talent with both Kaynes and CG Semi aggressively hiring from there. Jerry Arucan Agnes, the CEO of CG Semi, and Nanie Torres, general manager at Kaynes Semicon, are both Filipinos spearheading operations at the Sanand plants.
“We have around 40 of our senior executives staying at The Blues Hotel,” Mohammad Aftab Alam, program manager at Kaynes Semicon told ET. “We are in the process of looking for more homestyle accommodation like serviced apartments or gated communities but it has been slightly difficult as there can be restrictions on the cooking or consumption of their regional cuisine.”
Hence the search for chefs.
“Since we have a lot of Filipino and Malaysian colleagues, we are also trying to find a cook who can make their cuisine authentically and are also exploring the idea of either training someone or getting a cook directly from the Philippines,” the person said.
The company is likely to move staff into apartments in the next month or two. In the interim, the hotel that these executives are staying at has taken measures to make guests feel at home.
“We hired a master chef about six months ago who specialises in Southeast Asian and Oriental cuisine,” said Rajesh Sinha, business head at The Blues Hotels and Resorts. “He has trained about three others from our kitchen to make these delicacies. In the last four months especially we have had a lot of Filipino guests who have been staying with us for long durations and so we have started serving their comfort dishes like adobo, lumpia and kare-kare to cater to their taste buds.”
Hotels aren't being viewed as a viable long-term option and so many companies including CG Semi and Micron have housed some of their executives at exclusive properties such as 78@Gokuldham, said people with knowledge of the matter.
“Out of around 192 apartments at 78@Gokuldham, about 80 are occupied by senior management of semiconductor firms, many of them being expats,” said Aniruddh Jhaveri, partner at Amaya Properties. “Since a large portion are from Southeast Asian countries, we have come up with measures to address their specific needs. For instance, we know that they eat a lot of meat, so deep freezers are part of the design.”
The property has a kitchen that serves Asian delicacies at the clubhouse besides a bento-box service that’s provided at an additional fee to residents.
“We've taken on the clubhouse at 78@Gokuldham and, apart from Indian food, we also serve Japanese food prepared by chefs who have been trained specially to cater to expats,” said Jaideep Ahuja, managing director and CEO of Ahuja Residency. “In the morning, we also give them bento boxes, which they take with them to the office for lunch. We haven't started with Filipino food yet but we have seen a huge influx of Korean expats so in some locations like Sri City in Andhra Pradesh, we have begun training and serving Korean food.”
Apart from Filipinos and Malaysians, the number of Taiwanese expats has gone up significantly as Tata Electronics has partnered with Taiwan's PSMC for India's first fab in Dholera, he said.
In some cases, companies themselves recognise the challenge and are coming up with their own means to address them. For instance, Jhaveri said a Taiwanese firm leased 18 apartments, converting one of them into a cafeteria.
Executives said this is a growing market for the hospitality, entertainment and leisure space in Gujarat since semiconductor projects rely heavily on expat talent. For developers like Amaya Properties, it’s the time to double down.
“Anticipating further demand, we are planning to build serviced apartments for expats near Sanand and are also exploring opportunities for retail villages to cater to the increased industrial activity expected in Gujarat owing to the semiconductor sector,” Jhaveri said.
Sanand is turning into India’s outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) hub with Micron, Kaynes and CG Semi setting up plants there.
The two Southeast Asian nations have proven to be the ideal hunting ground for expat talent with both Kaynes and CG Semi aggressively hiring from there. Jerry Arucan Agnes, the CEO of CG Semi, and Nanie Torres, general manager at Kaynes Semicon, are both Filipinos spearheading operations at the Sanand plants.
“We have around 40 of our senior executives staying at The Blues Hotel,” Mohammad Aftab Alam, program manager at Kaynes Semicon told ET. “We are in the process of looking for more homestyle accommodation like serviced apartments or gated communities but it has been slightly difficult as there can be restrictions on the cooking or consumption of their regional cuisine.”
Hence the search for chefs.
“Since we have a lot of Filipino and Malaysian colleagues, we are also trying to find a cook who can make their cuisine authentically and are also exploring the idea of either training someone or getting a cook directly from the Philippines,” the person said.
The company is likely to move staff into apartments in the next month or two. In the interim, the hotel that these executives are staying at has taken measures to make guests feel at home.
“We hired a master chef about six months ago who specialises in Southeast Asian and Oriental cuisine,” said Rajesh Sinha, business head at The Blues Hotels and Resorts. “He has trained about three others from our kitchen to make these delicacies. In the last four months especially we have had a lot of Filipino guests who have been staying with us for long durations and so we have started serving their comfort dishes like adobo, lumpia and kare-kare to cater to their taste buds.”
Hotels aren't being viewed as a viable long-term option and so many companies including CG Semi and Micron have housed some of their executives at exclusive properties such as 78@Gokuldham, said people with knowledge of the matter.
“Out of around 192 apartments at 78@Gokuldham, about 80 are occupied by senior management of semiconductor firms, many of them being expats,” said Aniruddh Jhaveri, partner at Amaya Properties. “Since a large portion are from Southeast Asian countries, we have come up with measures to address their specific needs. For instance, we know that they eat a lot of meat, so deep freezers are part of the design.”
The property has a kitchen that serves Asian delicacies at the clubhouse besides a bento-box service that’s provided at an additional fee to residents.
“We've taken on the clubhouse at 78@Gokuldham and, apart from Indian food, we also serve Japanese food prepared by chefs who have been trained specially to cater to expats,” said Jaideep Ahuja, managing director and CEO of Ahuja Residency. “In the morning, we also give them bento boxes, which they take with them to the office for lunch. We haven't started with Filipino food yet but we have seen a huge influx of Korean expats so in some locations like Sri City in Andhra Pradesh, we have begun training and serving Korean food.”
Apart from Filipinos and Malaysians, the number of Taiwanese expats has gone up significantly as Tata Electronics has partnered with Taiwan's PSMC for India's first fab in Dholera, he said.
In some cases, companies themselves recognise the challenge and are coming up with their own means to address them. For instance, Jhaveri said a Taiwanese firm leased 18 apartments, converting one of them into a cafeteria.
Executives said this is a growing market for the hospitality, entertainment and leisure space in Gujarat since semiconductor projects rely heavily on expat talent. For developers like Amaya Properties, it’s the time to double down.
“Anticipating further demand, we are planning to build serviced apartments for expats near Sanand and are also exploring opportunities for retail villages to cater to the increased industrial activity expected in Gujarat owing to the semiconductor sector,” Jhaveri said.