North Karnataka industrial ecosystem can grow by catering to electric vehicle value chain

The Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi region in North Karnataka possesses the potential to become a significant industrial and logistics hub, according to Sanjay Alamelkar, Associate Vice-President of JSW. At the DRIVE HDB workshop on August 18, Alamelkar emphasized the importance of developing a robust regional industrial value chain for the electric vehicle (EV) sector, which extends beyond vehicle manufacturing to include batteries, motors, power electronics, charging infrastructure, components and allied services.

He urged local industries to adopt new technologies and enhance their manufacturing capabilities to meet the demands of the rapidly expanding EV industry, highlighting the availability of land, skilled labor, industrial infrastructure, and transport connectivity in the region. Alamelkar stressed the necessity of collaboration among industry, government, educational institutions, and research organizations to establish a competitive and sustainable value chain.

The workshop aimed to position the HDB region as a leading center for EV manufacturing and component supply, bringing together various stakeholders including OEMs, industries, MSMEs, startups, technology providers, government departments, and skill development institutions. KCCI President G.K. Adappagoudar stressed that the EV sector should be viewed as an industrial transformation opportunity, creating new industries, technologies, supply chains and jobs.

Adappagoudar commended the region's strong MSME base, engineering capabilities, technical education, and skilled workforce, which need to be integrated effectively into the emerging EV ecosystem. Former KCCI president Shankaranna Munavalli pointed out the opportunities for local industries to manufacture batteries, motors, controllers, chargers, power electronics, wiring harnesses, sensors, software, and other automobile components, stressing the importance of logistics infrastructure, such as the completion of the Hubballi-Ankola railway project, to improve connectivity and reduce freight costs and transit time.

Honorary secretary Uday Revanakar noted that the development of the EV value chain and enhanced railway and logistics connectivity could mutually benefit the HDB region's transformation into a major industrial and logistics hub, urging entrepreneurs to seize these emerging opportunities in the EV sector.