Is Karnataka Poised to Be the Next Global Manufacturing Giant?
Karnataka is steadily establishing itself as a global manufacturing hub, with significant investments and growing recognition across industries. Recently, Volvo Group reportedly made a landmark ₹1,400 crore investment to expand its Hosakote manufacturing facility near Bengaluru. This expansion is poised to generate 2,000 direct jobs and increase production capacity to 20,000 units per year. Such initiatives are not only contributing to the state’s economic growth but also reaffirming its role as a key player in India’s manufacturing ambitions. This focus on manufacturing was a central theme at Invest Karnataka 2025, which concluded last week. Industry leaders from global players like Wipro GE Healthcare, Bosch Limited, Hitachi Energy, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, and others highlighted the vital role Karnataka plays in supporting the Make in India vision. Hitachi Energy Scaling Up Production Globally “There are new policies, especially around the new manufacturing mission, border trade net, and export promotion mission. These will significantly benefit the manufacturing sector,” N Venu, managing director and CEO of Hitachi Energy India and South Asia, said. Venu pointed out the need for even more ambitious action to achieve these goals. “We need to do at least two to three times more than what we are currently doing. If we continue as we are, we will never achieve these goals. This requires a strong focus on the manufacturing ecosystem, clusterisation, and supportive policies.” He went on to commend the central and state governments for their efforts in creating robust ecosystems that fuel the manufacturing sector’s growth. Venu further highlighted Karnataka’s impressive renewable energy achievements, with 60% of the state’s installed capacity coming from renewables. Karnataka also attracts the second-highest foreign direct investment (FDI) in India and is home to over 750 multinational corporations, providing direct employment to 12 lakh professionals. “Karnataka accounts for over 6% of India’s total exports and 42% of the country’s IT exports,” Venu emphasised, underscoring why many global companies, including Hitachi Energy, have chosen Karnataka for their operations. Hitachi Energy, a leader in the global energy transition, has had a long-standing presence in Karnataka. “We have been in India for 75 years, with three manufacturing locations in Karnataka alone—producing 80% of our global portfolio locally. About 25% of what we make is exported to Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Europe,” Venu shared. He also highlighted Hitachi Energy’s significant contribution to Karnataka’s energy system through projects like SCADA systems, which monitor thousands of substations in the state. The company supports key facilities like the largest steel-integrated plant and data centres and has even contributed to the development of the city’s Namma Metro. Furthermore, Venu noted, “We are expanding our Mysore factory and our global competitive centre in Bengaluru, reflecting our long-term investment in Karnataka.” The company is also working to promote diversity. It is engaging with tier-2 and tier-3 universities in Karnataka to encourage more women to pursue careers in engineering, which is critical for the future manufacturing workforce. Wipro GE Healthcare Exports from Karnataka Adding to the conversation, Chaitanya Sarawate, president and CEO of GE Healthcare South Asia and managing director of Wipro GE Healthcare, mentioned three fundamentals that held true when the company began and remain so even today. “The first is the extraordinary human talent present in India,” Sarawate explained. The second, he said, was “the dynamism across Bengaluru, which was just as evident in 1990 as it is today. It’s a city filled with people eager to start new businesses and launch innovative startups”. He said the third was India’s large population, which continues to drive growing demand for healthcare, claiming it as a truth that has remained unchanged from 1990 to 2025. For the past 35 years, Wipro GE Healthcare has been at the forefront of innovation and manufacturing in India, with a global outlook. “We were the first to establish a large technology centre in Whitefield, employing over 2,500 direct employees and another 2,500 indirect employees,” Sarawate noted. “This makes it the largest R&D facility for GE Healthcare globally, where we file over 100 patents annually, contributing to innovations like AI, additive manufacturing, and automation embedded in products used in hospitals worldwide.” In addition to their technological advancements, GE Healthcare’s four manufacturing plants in Whitefield, Bengaluru, have produced the first CT and PET-CT scanners manufactured in India. “We have also participated in the government’s production-linked incentive scheme, setting up a new plant in 2020,” Sarawate shared. This commitment extends beyond India’s healthcare system, as GE Healthcare also supplies products to the global market. “It’s humbling to realise that many families across the globe have been treated using products developed right here in Karnataka.”To date, GE Healthcare has invested ₹32,000 crore in Karnataka, and Sarawate revealed plans to invest an additional ₹8,000 crore over the next five years. “ This will generate further employment, improve healthcare, and help build a society where healthcare has no limits, both in India and globally,” he affirmed.
“Both the central and state governments continue to create robust ecosystems to fuel the manufacturing sector’s growth, and Karnataka is leading from the front,” Venu mentioned.
“Both the central and state governments continue to create robust ecosystems to fuel the manufacturing sector’s growth, and Karnataka is leading from the front,” Venu mentioned.
["Invest Karnataka 2025"]
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["AI", "Aim", "RAG", "R", "Go", "GAN", "ViT", "automation", "innovation", "startup"]
Shalini is a senior tech journalist, exploring the latest advancements in AI. When she's not reporting on the latest innovations, you can find her immersed in her next literary adventure.