Hubballi, Oct 6 (KNN) The Karnataka industries during CEOs’ Round Table with Electronics Minister C N Ashwath Narayan on Wednesday appealed to the state government to improve the industrial investment scenario in the Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi (HDB) region.

The industries that have come together under Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), pushed for a startup hub, manufacturing launch pad, IT tech park, Beyond Bengaluru R&D Fund, and five centres of excellence in the HDB region, as per a report in the Indian Express.

According to the industry, the proposed EV cluster over 500 acres will significantly benefit the state tremendously. The industry has recommended targeting at least two anchor units, the common centre for testing, validation and certification, and the letter of intent should be signed as early as Karnataka Rajyotsava Day this year, with the first unit commencing operations by the H2 of next year.

To attract start-ups to the state, the KDEM is pushing for Startup Hub, with world-class infrastructure built to house 5,000 startups in the region. It has been proposed that it be built by the KDEM itself in a public-private partnership, over a 2-lakh square feet area on government land leased for 35 years.

Another major recommendation is to build a 1-lakh square feet manufacturing launch pad, which will act as a plug-n-play setup for engineering and manufacturing companies to scale up their business. Meanwhile, apart from announcing a Rs 500-core R&D fund for the region, the KDEM is seeking the establishment of five centres of excellence, with an investment of Rs 20 crore per centre, to boost training in R&D, innovation and entrepreneurship.  (KNN Bureau)