Bengaluru firm working on making ‘Swachh runways’ unveils new machine

Bengaluru: Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil recently handed over airport runway cleaning vehicles developed by Bengaluru-based Anlon Technology Solutions Limited, a company engaged in engineering innovation and the manufacture of high-value infrastructure equipment, to the Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL).

The vehicle is reportedly the first indigenously manufactured runway cleaning vehicle in the country.

Manufactured under the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative in collaboration with Switzerland-based M/s Bucher Municipal, the vehicles were assembled at the company’s facility in the industrial area of Adinarayanahosahalli near Doddaballapur.

The keys of two vehicles of this model were handed over to Noida airport representative Pradeep Rana.

The vehicles are designed to remove nails and sharp metal fragments from the runway that could pose a risk to aircraft tyres. They also vacuum dust and, importantly, clear algae that could cause aircraft to skid during landing.

Companies such as Anlon, which also manufactures sweeping machines for cleaning city roads, form the backbone of the supply chain, the Minister said.

He added that Anlon should leverage government policies and Karnataka’s industrial ecosystem to explore export markets for the vehicle it has developed.

The State’s Industrial Policy (2025–30) would support such companies through targeted assistance and incentives for quality certification, he promised.

Responding to questions from reporters after the programme, Patil said Foxconn currently provides employment to 30,000 people, of whom nearly 80 per cent are women, which he described as a matter of satisfaction.

He added that an additional 20,000 jobs would be created in the coming days, and that efforts were under way to position Karnataka as a leader in the manufacturing sector on the lines of China and Vietnam.

After the programme, the Minister also interacted with local entrepreneurs, some of whom sought land to expand their businesses, and promised them support for their ventures.

The company’s Managing Director, P.M. Unnikrishnan Nair, also spoke on the occasion.