Minister for IT, BT and Higher Education C.N. Ashwath Narayan inaugurated DRoEV-2023, a meeting of investors in electrical vehicles and drones, in Belagavi on Friday.
Speaking via a video conference, the Minister said that the government aims to attract the best minds in these two sectors and to showcase India as a centre of futuristic technologies.
The State government will set up a dedicated industrial hub in Belagavi for electric vehicles and drone segments on 500 acres of land, he said.
The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) is coordinating between the government and the stake holders, including industry leaders, policymakers, the research and development community and startups, he said.
Young entrepreneurs showcasing their products during DRoEV-2023 conclave in Belagavi on Friday. | Photo Credit: P.K. Badiger
The Minister said that the State was the first to roll out an exclusive electric vehicles policy and now it is the first to announce a cluster for drone and EV industries. The Minister said he hoped that the letters of intent signed in at the event can result in an investment of 400 crore, creating over 10,000 jobs.
Additional Chief Secretary, IT and BT, E.V. Ramana Reddy said that this is a part of the Beyond Bengaluru initiative. Speaking via video conference, he said that the government will provide all support to the electric vehicles and drone hub.
KDEM chairman B.V. Naidu said that it aims to create an ecosystem that can invite global investors to interact with local industries, partners and also be part of the global supply chain.
Apart from industrial units and research centres, Belagavi has quality education institutions with over 3,000 students passing out annually, he said.
KDEM CEO Sanjeev Gupta said that the Indian electric vehicles and drones market was expected to grow exponentially over the next few years.
Ajit Patil, coordinator, said that Belagavi has end-to-end capability to manufacture drones and electric vehicles and there are many startups that have already developed prototypes and products. “It is a natural choice for KDEM to make Belagavi a destination for electric vehicles and drone manufacturing,” he said.
According to him, Belagavi is home to 16,228 registered micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and 250 startups, many of which are component producers.
On Friday, the organisers announced 16 Letters of Intent from the industry covering investments in manufacturing, training and research and development in the cluster.
These will help attract global investors and technology companies to engage with local industries, partners and boost the supply chain. This will help the government to focus on policy changes that benefit the sector, Mr. Patil said.
Published - March 24, 2023 06:48 pm IST
