prasad1
Active member
Men, please do not drool, it is not what you think.
Indian villager Jaya places the bright pink, sequined, moulded C-cupped designer bra under the needle of her sewing machine and carefully stitches the seams together.
The padded "Very Sexy" push-up bra which 22-year-old Jaya sews is for American lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret - designed to give a "boost" to buyers in hundreds of high-fashion boutiques across the United States. But a world away in this traditional rice-growing region of southern India, these luxurious bras are - in a different way - enhancing the lives of poor rural women.
Investment-friendly policies, close proximity to one of India's largest ports and an international airport, and easy access to a large, semi-literate workforce has helped make the area one of the most industrialised in the country. Traditionally known for producing India's finest quality silk-woven saris, Kanchipuram is now a top automotive hub for car makers such as Hyundai, Ford and Volvo as well as playing host to apparel, technology and electronics firms.
Economic Times - Indian Newspapers in English Language from seven editions.Girls traditionally spend their days doing household chores - collecting water from the borehole, making meals, cleaning and looking after younger siblings. But in many households that has changed, say villagers, due to the Pudhu Vaazhvu project.
"Before I struggled to send my children to school, even food was a problem," says Latta Gubendran, mother of three, whose 19-year-old daughter, Divya, works at Intimate Fashions and earns a monthly salary of 7,000 rupees ($130).
"Divya earns more than I thought possible. My two younger girls can go to school and we have bought a fridge, a television and even tiled our floors in our house. She is like the son I never had. She brings me and my family respect."