Hubballi NGEF Revival: Karnataka minister MB Patil holds talks with Japan's JFE Shoji

Bengaluru: Industries Minister M B Patil, on Wednesday, held talks with Japan’s JFE Shoji Company on the possibilities of reviving the prestigious New Government Electrical Factory (NGEF) in Hubballi under state partnership.

The minister, leading a high-level Karnataka delegation visiting Japan to attract investment, put forward the revival proposal in a meeting with the company’s top officials on Wednesday.

“JFE is at the forefront in the manufacture of power converters,” the minister said. He added that senior officials of the company have been invited to visit the Hubballi unit for preliminary discussions regarding the NGEF revival.

The meeting was attended by Hiroshi Lijima, General Manager, Machinery Division, JFE Shoji Company, Hidekasu Yoshioko, Manager, Electrical Appliances Steel Planning Division, and other officials.

The company assured the state delegation that a separate Rs 400 crore project to manufacture motor cores used in battery-powered and electric vehicles (BEVs/EVs) will be implemented soon.

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

Steel plant in Koppal

Sumitomo 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 3,50,000 tonnes of iron and steel. The minister explained that Sumitomo has also expressed interest in setting up a biomass unit in Karnataka in the near future.

Yaskawa confirmed its investment to the state delegation for establishing a motion control and variable frequency drives unit in Bengaluru. The minister said this will strengthen Karnataka’s position as a hub for advanced manufacturing technology.

Selvakumar S, Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce and Industries, and Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner for Industrial Development and other senior officials were present during the discussions.