Bengaluru: Ahead of the visit of Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, to Bengaluru from September 7 to 9, Christian Biever, Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to India, and Maxime Victor, Counsellor at the Embassy of Luxembourg, called on Karnataka Minister for Industries, M.B. Patil, recently to discuss avenues for investment and bilateral collaboration.
Speaking after the meeting at Khanija Bhavan, the Minister said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening Karnataka-Luxembourg ties, particularly in the areas of investment, innovation and technology.
He said the Luxembourg delegation appreciated Bengaluru’s position as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’ and lauded Karnataka’s robust innovation ecosystem, industry-friendly environment and highly skilled talent pool.
Patil said the delegation was also briefed on the opportunities available in KWIN City, which is being developed between Dabaspete and Doddaballapura.
He invited Luxembourg’s companies, universities and innovation agencies to partner in the project and explore the wide range of investment opportunities it promises.
The Minister noted that Luxembourg-based Ceratizit already has a manufacturing presence in Karnataka, producing advanced cutting materials for industrial applications.
He added that the delegation highlighted Luxembourg’s expertise in sectors such as steel, automotive, engineering, clean energy, industrial equipment and space technology.
Patil also pointed out that Bengaluru-headquartered Infosys and Wipro have established operations in Luxembourg, reflecting the growing economic engagement between the two regions.
Investment outreach programme in Fukuoka
“Karnataka’s industry-friendly ecosystem, strong policy support and thriving semiconductor ecosystem make it an ideal destination for Tier-2 semiconductor companies from Japan, particularly those based in Fukuoka, to invest in the state,” M.B. Patil said, and added that an investment outreach programme would soon be organised in Fukuoka to showcase Karnataka’s strengths and attract greater Japanese investment in the semiconductor sector.
The Minister made the announcement after meeting C. Ramkumar, Consul-General of India in Fukuoka, Japan, in Bengaluru on Monday.
During the meeting, the Consul-General observed that Karnataka’s strong research and development ecosystem, coupled with its large network of Global Capability Centres (GCCs), had generated significant interest among Japanese industry. He said these strengths made Karnataka an attractive destination not only for leading Japanese semiconductor companies but also for Tier-2 firms and the broader semiconductor ecosystem.
Both sides also discussed working together to convert this growing interest into tangible investments.
Patil said Karnataka’s greatest strength lay in its world-class talent pool, nurtured by premier institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science and several other leading educational and research institutions across the state.
He emphasised the immense potential for deeper industry-academia collaboration to drive innovation, research and talent development. Such partnerships, along with increased technology collaboration and investments from Japanese companies, particularly those in Fukuoka, would further strengthen Karnataka’s semiconductor ecosystem and provide a significant boost to the state’s economic growth.
