Karnataka explores NGEF revival in Hubballi with Japan’s JFE Shoji Company: Minister

Bengaluru, Sep 10 (PTI) Karnataka Industries Minister M B Patil on Wednesday held talks with Japan’s JFE Shoji Company on the possibility of reviving the New Government Electrical Factory (NGEF) in Hubballi under state partnership, officials said.

Patil, who is leading a high-level Karnataka delegation to Japan to attract investments, proposed the revival plan in a meeting with the company’s top executives.

“JFE is at the forefront in the manufacture of power converters,” the minister said in a statement issued by his office.

He added that senior officials of the company had been invited to visit the Hubballi unit for preliminary discussions.

According to the statement, the company assured the delegation that a separate Rs 400-crore project to manufacture motor cores for battery-powered and electric vehicles (BEVs/EVs) would be implemented soon.

As part of the visit, Patil has held a series of high-level meetings with leading Japanese firms, reinforcing Karnataka’s position as India’s premier investment hub, with commitments across electric vehicles, steel, automation, advanced materials, and automotive components, the officials said.

On the third day of the visit, the delegation also held talks with senior officials of Sumitomo and Yaskawa.

“Sumitomo has confirmed an investment of Rs 2,345 crore in a steel manufacturing unit in Koppal through Mukanda Sumi, a joint venture with the Bajaj Group. The unit will be operational by 2028 and will have an annual capacity of 3.5 lakh tonnes of iron and steel,” the statement said.

The minister added that Sumitomo had also expressed interest in setting up a biomass unit in Karnataka.

“Yaskawa confirmed its investment for establishing a motion control and variable frequency drives unit in Bengaluru. This will strengthen Karnataka’s position as a hub for advanced manufacturing technology,” the statement added. PTI AMP SSK