Karnataka Industries Minister takes stock of various sectors, and insider demands for their growth

Bengaluru: With the aim of charting the future trajectory of key industrial sectors and identifying measures the government needs to take in this direction, Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil recently chaired meetings of the Vision Groups for Aerospace and Defence, Machine Tools, Auto/EV, and Green Energy sectors.

The meetings, held throughout the day at Khanija Bhavan in Bengaluru, were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.

Speaking on the occasion, Patil said Karnataka was at the forefront of the aerospace and defence sectors in the country and noted that Suzuki and Toyota were set to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, and that Bengaluru-based Sasmos was supplying electrical equipment for the project.

Industrialists had suggested that similar ‘fly-taxi’ services be introduced here by formulating an appropriate policy, he said, adding that the proposal would be examined.

The need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for aerospace and defence industries also came up for discussion. Patil assured that these facilities would be provided, even as suggestions were made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for the growth of these sectors.

The State has already urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharwad–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.

Industrialists also pointed out the potential for a similar corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru.

The Minister said Karnataka should emerge as the capital of defence electronics manufacturing, and that plans were under consideration to establish a dedicated 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park. These projects would be implemented once the Special Investment Region comes into existence, Patil said and added that there would be no difficulty in making land available for these initiatives.

The Machine Tools sector in the State has recorded an annual turnover of ₹36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.

To further promote the sector, large-scale exhibitions have been organised, resulting in increased demand. Patil said the State must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems required for heavy machinery.

“One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, and another will be set up in Tumakuru. There are also plans to expand vocational training institutes in industrial areas,” the Minister said.

Members of the Vision Group highlighted the need for a network of dry ports in the Auto and EV sector.

“More EV charging stations will be established across the State. The Tata Group is currently manufacturing EV buses in Dharwad and supplying them across the country. The group is also preparing to begin production of mini excavators. Suitable arrangements will be developed to facilitate their export. The need for a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs was also raised, and this will be examined,” Patil said.

In the Green Energy sector, the need for a suitable policy for battery-based energy storage was emphasised.

The requirement for establishing data centres was also discussed.

“The government will seriously consider all these suggestions and respond positively,” Patil assured.

Those present at the Aerospace and Defence Vision Group meeting included Apparao Venkata Mallavarapu, CEO of Centum Electronics, Jeevish Gurumurthy of Honeywell, J. S. Gaonkar, CEO of Safran, S. Dwarakanath, General Manager of AIA, H.G. Chandrashekhar, Founder of Sasmos, and Samit Ray, Vice-President of Collins Aerospace.

Also in attendance were Chetan Gowda, Vice-President of Greaves Electric, Ramesh Rao, Vice-President of Toyota and General Manager Kiran Kumar.