The Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi region has the potential to emerge as a major industrial and logistics hub by leveraging the rapid growth of the electric vehicle (EV) sector, Sanjay Alamelkar, Associate Vice-President, JSW, said in Hubballi on August 18.
Speaking at the DRIVE HDB (Developing Regional Industrial Value Chains for Electric Vehicles) workshop, organised jointly by WRI India, the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), and the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission, Mr. Alamelkar said there was a need to build a strong regional industrial value chain by bringing together industries, MSMEs, start-ups, and local suppliers.
“The EV sector is not confined to vehicle manufacturing. It is creating opportunities in batteries, electric motors, power electronics, charging infrastructure, components and allied services. Greater participation of local industries in the EV manufacturing and supply chain will help attract investments, and create employment opportunities,” he said.
He called upon small and medium enterprises to adopt new technologies, and strengthen their manufacturing capabilities to meet the requirements of the emerging EV industry.
Mr. Alamelkar said north Karnataka had the land, skilled manpower, industrial infrastructure, and transport connectivity required for industrial growth. “There is an opportunity to convert these strengths into a comprehensive EV industrial ecosystem,” he said.
He stressed the need for collaboration among industry, government, educational institutions, and research organisations to create a competitive and sustainable value chain.
The workshop was aimed at developing the Hubballi–Dharwad–Belagavi (HDB) region as a major centre for EV manufacturing and component supply. Representatives of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), industries, MSMEs, startups, technology providers, government departments, and skill development institutions participated in the event.
KCCI President G.K. Adappagoudar said, “EV sector should not be viewed merely as a change in the mode of transportation but as an industrial transformation that could create new industries, technologies, supply chains and employment opportunities.
“The EV sector should be viewed as a major opportunity for industrial development in north Karnataka. The Hubballi–Dharwad–Belagavi region has the potential to emerge as a major centre for EV manufacturing and component supply.”
Mr. Adappagoudar said the region already has a strong MSME base, engineering capabilities, technical education institutions, and skilled human resources, which needed to be effectively integrated with the emerging EV ecosystem.
Former KCCI president Shankaranna Munavalli said, “Local industries have opportunities to manufacture batteries, motors, controllers, chargers, power electronics, wiring harnesses, sensors, software, and other automobile components. The workshop would help connect local industries with national and global EV supply chains.”
Mr. Munavalli underlined the importance of logistics infrastructure for the growth of the EV and automobile sectors. “The completion of the Hubballi–Ankola railway project,” he said, “would improve connectivity between north Karnataka and coastal ports, thereby reducing freight costs, and transit time.”
Institution honorary secretary Uday Revanakar said the development of the EV value chain, and better railway and logistics connectivity could complement each other, and help the HDB region emerge as a major industrial and logistics hub. He urged entrepreneurs in the region to make use of the emerging opportunities in the EV sector.
The workshop focused on facilitating partnerships among industries, OEMs, component manufacturers, startups, and technology companies, besides promoting technology transfer, skill development, and supply-chain linkages.
Published – August 19, 2026 03:56 pm IST
