Honda to invest Rs 600 Cr in first Indian electric two-wheeler plant at Karnataka's Narasapura

The plant will produce electric scooters for domestic sales and exports, strengthening India’s electric mobility push and boosting Karnataka’s position as a hub for advanced manufacturing.

Bengaluru: Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Limited (HMSI), a subsidiary of Japanese auto major, will soon commission a new manufacturing plant to produce electric two-wheelers adjacent to its Narasapura plant in Kolar district at an investment of Rs 600 crore. The company is currently manufacturing 2.4 million two-wheelers in Narasapura.

Honda's leadership, led by Noriya Kaihara, Director, Executive Vice President, and Representative Executive Officer, on Monday, informed a delegation from Karnataka led by Industries minister M B Patil that the company's first electric two-wheeler production base in India will be set up in Narasapura. Honda shared that an investment of Rs 600 crore, aligned with the Global Investors Meet MoU signed with the government of Karnataka, will be grounded shortly.

The Patil-led delegation, which is visiting Japan, urged Honda to explore expanded investments beyond the two-wheeler segment and assured full support from the state government. Honda will manufacture electric two-wheelers for both sale in the domestic market as well as exports, according to sources in the industries department.

HMSI currently sells two electric scooters in India - Activa e and QC1. The Activa e comes with a swappable battery system and is supported by a network of swappable battery stations in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai. QC1 comes with a fixed battery which delivers a range of 80 kms per charge. Both these models are manufactured at its factory in Narasapur.

The Karnataka delegation also held discussions with Mitsubishi Electric, Yokogawa Electric, Tokyo Electron, and Restar to strengthen partnerships and explore new investments in the state. The delegation showcased Karnataka's deep semiconductor ecosystem and highly skilled talent pool, positioning the state as a natural choice for Tokyo Electron's future growth. Both sides agreed to maintain close engagement to explore further collaboration.

During their meeting with Mitsubishi Electric, the company shared details of its presence in Karnataka and expansion plans. Yokogawa Electric, which employs 2,000 people in its Karnataka plant, assured the delegation that it will explore further expansion opportunities in the state.

Restar Holdings, a key Japanese player in electronics and semiconductor solutions, discussed opportunities to strengthen the electronics value chain in Karnataka. The delegation urged the company to initiate EMS (electronics manufacturing services) operations in Bangalore. Restar shared that it is entering into a joint venture with an Indian partner to establish distribution operations in India. 

The minister assured full support to Restar in its upcoming ventures and encouraged the company to consider future expansion in the state.

Patil is accompanied by senior officials including Selvakumar, Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce and Industries, and Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner for Industrial Development.

The visit is part of the Government of Karnataka’s broader efforts to attract high-value investments from Japan, reinforcing the state’s position as India’s leading destination for advanced industries and innovation.