The Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Tuesday urged Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa to promote Mangaluru region that has every facility required for the proposed manufacturing plant of Tesla, the electric car company.
Congratulating Mr. Yediyurappa for ensuring Tesla incorporated its Indian subsidiary in Bengaluru, KCCI president Isaac Vas has, in a letter, said that Tesla was in the process of conducting a location search for setting up its operations. “Mangaluru region is one of the best suited area for setting up the proposed manufacturing plant in India and we request you to promote this location,” he said.
Mangaluru region, Mr. Vas said, has all the required facilities for the manufacturing plant of electric vehicles, including land, skilled manpower, four types of connectivity, good social infrastructure, among other things. Land stretches were available for the plant around Padubidri, Mulur and Bolkunje around Mangaluru.
Being an education hub, Mangaluru area has 21 engineering colleges, besides several industrial training institutes and polytechnics that produce hundreds of engineers and technicians. With high literacy level in Mangaluru, Tesla would be able to get skilled workforce in the region. As far as connectivity was concerned, Mangaluru has air, sea, rail and road connectivity, which no other region in the State has. While Mangaluru International Airport offers air connectivity, the New Mangaluru Port provides connectivity through the sea for easy export and import; railway lines connect Mangaluru with Mumbai and further North, Kerala as well as Bengaluru and the region has a good network of National Highways connecting it to Mumbai, Kerala, Bengaluru and other parts of the State.
Mangaluru was also a crucial business hub with banking, insurance and other service sectors readily available. It is also a centre of technology with many top technology companies having their presence and many more expected, through the proposed IT Park. Good social infrastructure, including housing, education, healthcare facilities, recreational avenues, are abundantly available.
Mr. Vas said that the chamber would lend a helping hand to the government in its efforts to convince Tesla to set up shop in Mangaluru. The chamber has also written to Tesla founder Elon Musk in this regard, he added.
