As a part of the revised Karnataka Electric Vehicle (EV) policy 2023–28, the Department of Commerce and Industries has finalised Chikkaballapur and Bidadi near Bengaluru, and Hubballi–Dharwad as locations for the proposed new EV clusters. 

Based on the recommendations of the EV industry, these clusters, which are also termed as EV Model Cities, are being developed to strengthen the adoption of EVs in Karnataka. The government has identified around 800 acres of land for these clusters.

“We want EV manufacturing and the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) (those who make components) to be in one place. Hence, we have created these clusters. The manufacturers can come and set up their factories on the land provided by us,” said Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner, Department of Industries and Commerce. 

If companies want a build-to-suit facility, then the department will work out the details with a third party and provide the same. There are plans to set up testing facilities for EV industry in these clusters.

“A couple of companies have already started working from the Gauribidanur cluster in Chikkaballapur district,” Ms. Krishna said. 

While other locations, like Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Mysuru, were also considered for establishing clusters, the three locations have been finalised based on EV penetration in the nearby districts, according to sources. “However, there is scope to set up more clusters in the future,” the source said.  

Along with providing a boost to the creation of an EV ecosystem in Karnataka and providing a sustainable transportation framework, the EV policy aims to attract ₹50,000 crore worth of investments in the sector and also create one lakh job opportunities. Karnataka was the first State in India to roll out an EV policy in 2017. The new policy was announced as the timeline for the first policy neared completion. 

Along with the Department of Commerce and Industries, the Energy Department, which is the nodal department for the creation of EV charging infrastructure, has taken several steps to bolster the adoption of EVs. Recently, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) data showed that Karnataka had the highest number (5,765) of public EV charging stations in India. 

The State government, in collaboration with power supply companies, also plans to invest ₹35 crore to set up 100 EV charging stations in the State.