From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bangalore, Feb 10: After world’s biggest steel manufacturer Laxmi Mittal’s Arcelor and the world’s second largest steel manufacturer from South Korea, Posco, evincing interest in unveiling their mega investment plans in Karnataka, three other major companies – Hero Honda Motors Ltd, Nectar Lifesciences Ltd and Moserbaer – have come forward to set up their plants in the state.
Totally five major companies, including three bigticket corporate entities, have come forward to set up their manufacturing plants in the state with a total investment of Rs 4,645 crore, according to Karnataka’s large and medium industries minister Murugesh Nirani.
Hero Honda Motors Ltd, the largest domestic two-wheeler manufacturer in India, has come up with a proposal to set up a Rs 2,000 crore two-wheeler manufacturing plant in Hubli-Dharwad region, the minister said pointing out that the company was keen on setting up its manufacturing unit in South India.
Nirani, who had an one-to-one meeting with Hero Honda Ltd’s chief executive officer and managing director Pawan Munjal in Delhi recently, pointed out that the state government’s pro-active approach in wooing industrial investment and providing facilities was likely to tilt the scales in favour of Hubli-Dharwad.
``The company would be sending its technical team for site evaluation later this month,’’ he said pointing out that the government was keen to provide a suitable plot.
Hero Honda Motors Ltd was set up in January 1984 in Gurgaon in Haryana and during the last 25 years, the company has produced over 25 million two-wheelers of different brands. Hero, incidentally, is the brand name of the Munjal brothers for their flagship company Hero Cycles Ltd.
It is a joint venture between the Hero Group of India, headed by Brij Mohan Lall Munjal, and Japanese Honda Group, the world’s biggest manufacturer of motorized two-wheelers. During the financial year of 2008-09, the company sold 3.28 million bikes and earned a net profit of Rs 1,281.7 crore. It presently has three manufacturing facilities at Gurgaon and Dharuhera in Haryana and Haridwar in Uttarakhand, which together have a production capacity of over 3.9 million bikes per year.
Nectar Lifesciences Ltd (NecLife), a $ 200 million integrated pharmaceutical company, has shown interest in setting up a Rs 1,500 crore plant in north Karnataka for the manufacture of life savings drugs. A suitable land is yet to be identified, the minister said.
The company has developed sustainable production systems to manufacture highest quality pharmaceutical products meeting diverse requirements of its customer base in over 45 countries worldwide. It offers a comprehensive range of Cephalosporin Active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished dosage forms.
The minister said, MoserBaer, headquatered in New Delhi, and is recognised as the world’s second largest optical storage media manufacturer and supplier to world’s top dozen brands, has come forward to set up a 50 MW grid connected solar photo voltaic project with an investment of Rs 850 crore in Chikkaballapur district.
Moserbaer, set up in 1983 by Deepak Puri, has a presence in over 82 countries serviced through six marketing offices in India, US and Europe, has successfully developed cutting edge technologies to become the world’s one of largest manufacturer of Optical Storage media like CDs and DVDs. The company’s four manufacturing facilities are located in Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
Nirani said the long-delayed Global Investors’ Meet was likely to be held in Bangalore on June 3 and 4 and about one lakh acres of land would be kept ready those companies who ready to set up their plants in the State.
Kajaria Ceramics has proposed to set up a unit for manufacturing vitrified/ceramic tiles involving investment of Rs 150 crore in Belgaum district..
An Egyptian company – Kapci Coatings – has also proposed to set up a plant for manufacturing of paints and decorative coatings with the investment of Rs 145 crore and would provide 300 jobs.
The company would soon despatch its technical team for identification of land, the minister said pointing out that Malur, Kolar, Tumkur and Mysore were under consideration.
``All the five companies were expected to provide direct employment to about 8,800 people,’’ the minister said.
Nirani, who visited the Tata’s Steel Plant at Jamshedpur, said Tata Metaliks Ltd would set up a three million tonnes capacity steel plant in Haveri district with an investment of Rs 15,000 crore on 2,000 acres. It would expected to generate jobs to 10,000 people. The State High Level Clearance Committee (SHLCC) in its meeting held last month has approved the project.