Karnataka’s Industries Department has proposed to establish three major industrial hubs in the Mumbai-Bengaluru Economic Corridor (MBEC).
The 1,000-km-long proposed corridor will have an influence area spread across Karnataka and Maharashtra, and is expected to generate 2.5 million jobs. It is planned to pass through large, backward tracts of northern and central Karnataka. The industrial hubs would come up near major cities Chitradurga-Davangere, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Belagavi.
According to K. Ratna Prabha, Karnataka Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Industries and Commerce, the corridor will facilitate the development of a well-planned, resource-efficient industrial base served by infrastructure connectivity.
The Centre is expected to hold a meeting on the economic corridor soon. “One hub will get clearance immediately and work on other hubs can be taken up in phases or create smaller special investment areas as mentioned in our industrial policy,” Ms. Prabha said.
About 3,000 to 4,000 acres of land is needed for setting up the industrial hubs. One of the hubs would be established at Davanagere/Chitradurga depending on land availability. The second hub could be established in Hubballi-Dharwad and third in Belagavi, she said. Both government and private lands would be identified for setting up the hubs, she said.
The State has proposed to develop Chamarajanagar as the next industrial zone in the Mysuru region.
Yadgir district would become a major investment destination in Kalaburagi region, and 3,000 acres of land had been acquired for industrial development. Coca-Cola India has decided to invest in Yadgir, she said.
