KCCI seeks Electronic City, EV hub in Hubballi-Dharwad

The Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has urged the State government to establish an Electronic City and a dedicated Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing hub on about 200 acres of land in Hubballi-Dharwad to accelerate industrial development in North Karnataka.In a press release issued here, KCCI honorary secretary Uday Revankar said that the KCCI is concerned over the slow pace of industrial development in Dharwad district.The IT Park and Aryabhat Park have not achieved their intended potential, while the high cost of land at the FMCG Industrial Area in Mummigatti is discouraging prospective investors, he said.KCCI president Sandeep Bidasaria recently met Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil in Bengaluru and submitted a representation seeking rationalisation of industrial land prices and investor-friendly infrastructure.Welcoming the State Level Single Window Clearance Committee’s recent approval of 147 industrial projects, including 131 outside Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural districts, the KCCI said that the move can encourage balanced regional development.KCCI has proposed developing specialised industrial clusters for electric vehicles, batteries, automobile components, drones and defence-related products. It said that the existing automobile and valve manufacturing base in Dharwad, along with the technical expertise available at IIT Dharwad, IIIT Dharwad and other engineering institutions, offer a foundation for such initiatives.The KCCI has also sought the development of Hubballi-Dharwad as a railway technology and manufacturing hub, citing Hubballi’s status as the headquarters of South Western Railway.Among its other demands are expediting the development of the IT Park and Aryabhat Park, providing infrastructure and policy support to industries and establishing a Knowledge City on the lines of the proposed KWIN City near Bengaluru.It has urged the State government to identify suitable land, constitute a high-level feasibility committee and make budgetary allocations for the proposed Knowledge City.The KCCI has also called for expediting the Dharwad Industrial Node Project, proposed in the State Budget over approximately 1,000 acres with an initial allocation of ₹600 crore. The project envisages attracting investments of ₹30,000 crore and generating nearly 75,000 jobs.The KCCI has urged Mr. Patil (Industries Minister) to take up the proposals with the Chief Minister and seek their inclusion, along with necessary budgetary allocations and incentives, in the forthcoming State Budget. Published - November 11, 2026 06:52 pm IST