From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Oct 2: In a bid to attract investments and create an ecosystem for Fast Moving Consumer Goods sector (FMCG) in the state, chairman of the FMCG Vision Group and joint managing director of Jyothy Labs Ltd Ullas Kamath, submitted the Vision Document ‘Transform Hubballi-Dharwad: Vision 2020-2025’’ to large and small-scale industries minister Jagadish Shettar in Bengaluru on Friday.
Ullas Kamath, in his group’s vision document, suggested to the state government to set up FMCG Cluster in Dharwad.
“We had announced setting up of FMCG cluster in Dharwad during the last budget. To fulfill the promises made, we set up an FMCG Vision Group to explore the opportunities and come out with a vision document ‘Transform Hubballi-Dharwad: Vision 2020-2025.’ The Government shall study the FMCG Vision report and hold discussion with various stakeholders to set up the cluster in the coming days,” Shettar said speaking to media persons after receiving the vision document.
“This FMCG cluster is being actively pursued by the state government to attract investments and generate large scale employment to North Karnataka region. Hubballi-Dharwad will be the FMCG hub for South India, generating turnover in excess of Rs 25,000 crore,’’ he announced.
The minister said the initiative envisages to the creation of 5 lac of direct and indirect job opportunities, through the associated service industry like transport, premium hotels and restaurants.
Hubballi-Dharwad was identified suiting the development needs, given its connectivity with the consumer markets of Bengaluru, Belgaum, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, and Hubballi-Dharwad itself is growing market.
The cluster seeks to change the social demographics of the Huballi- Dharwad region, with almost Rs 12,000-15,000 crore of economic transactions in the association of the cluster, Shettar said.
The vision document outlines the imminent need to ‘Transform Hubbali-Dharwad’ in a much-needed growth impetus for North-Karnataka.
On the fundamentals of ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat', the FMCG cluster targets creating 5 lac job opportunities with 35% economic growth of the region by 2025, he explained.
Hubbali-Dharwad will be the flag-bearer for the next industrial revolution in Karnataka, contributing to India's ambition to become US $ 5 trillion economy - in a true Win-win-win situation for society, industry and the government.
It has been a remarkable journey with the Government in taking the concept to reality, through the measured steps of roadshows in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Guwahati, and the leg of Invest Karnataka – Hubballi Conference.
"The industry concedes the measure of the constitution of the formal industry Vision Group. Perhaps, this is the only initiative incepted out of the joint efforts by the government and the industry,” the chairman of the Vision Group for FMCG cluster said.
“FMCG Cluster development will be proposed in three phases, with each phase comprising of investment of Rs 2500 crore from 50 FMCG companies (an average investment of Rs 50 crore each). Each phase will generate 50,000 jobs, with 80% of jobs reserved for the domiciles, and 50% for women. Each phase is expected to occupy an area of around 500 acres,” Kamath added.
Karnataka has been an attractive investment destination and is one of the most industrially advanced states in India. Today, Karnataka is nearly US $ 250 billion economy and growing strong. The state has been leading the country in several sectors. The State has traditional strengths in a wide range of industries such as machine tools, heavy machinery, automobiles, electronics, aerospace and defense, biotechnology.
The state is taking cautious steps to reboot the economy and support economic activities in the state. The recent 2019 NITI Aayog 2019 Innovation Index has Karnataka at the top. This has been possible due to the availability of quality human resources, reputed higher educational institutions, and a significant thrust on research and development aided by a proactive administration and conducive investment climate, Shettar explained.