As part of his ongoing visit to Japan, Shri M.B. Patil, Hon’ble Minister for Large and Medium Industries & Infrastructure Development, Government of Karnataka, led a series of high-level meetings with leading Japanese companies. The discussions reinforced Karnataka’s position as India’s premier investment hub, with new projects and expansion commitments across key sectors including electric vehicles, steel, automation, advanced materials, and automotive components.

JFE Shoji Commits INR 400 Crore EV Motor Core Project in Karnataka

JFE Shoji confirmed its INR 400 crore investment to manufacture motor cores for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and EVs in Karnataka. Land site options for the project are being finalized, with the company assuring that the investment will be grounded soon. The Hon’ble Minister also invited JFE Shoji to collaborate on reviving the NGEF Hubballi plant, leveraging its expertise in power transformers.

Key participants from JFE Shoji included:

• Katsuyuki Adachi, Staff Manager, Machinery & Materials Dept
• Tasuku Arai, Manager, Electric Appliance Steel Planning Dept
• Hidekazu Yoshioka, Manager, Electrical Appliance Steel Planning Dept
• Hiroshi Iijima, General Manager, Machinery & Materials Dept

Sumitomo’s INR 2,345 Crore Greenfield Steel Facility in Koppal

Sumitomo reaffirmed its INR 2,345 crore investment through Mukand Sumi, its joint venture with the Bajaj Group, to set up a greenfield integrated steelmaking facility in Koppal. The plant, with a capacity of 3,50,000 tonnes per annum, will feature new iron-making, steel-making, and blooming mill units, and is expected to be operational by early 2028. Notably, more than 95% of the facility’s energy requirements will be met through renewable sources. The company also expressed interest in setting up a biomass energy unit in Karnataka.

Key participants from Sumitomo included:

• Yasushi Yoshida, Corporate Officer, Deputy General Manager, Energy Innovation Initiative SBU
• Hiroshi Horii, Head of Biomass Energy Business Unit, Energy Innovation Initiative SBU
• Takashi Nose, Team Leader, RNG team, Biomass Energy Business Unit
• Kazuaki Tsuda, General Manager, Steel Products SBU
• Kazushi Katayama, General Manager, Specialty Steel, Forging and Casting Business Dept., Sumitomo Corporation Global Metals Co., Ltd. (Steel Product SBU)
• Naoki Hirakawa, Manager, Specialty Steel, Forging and Casting Business Dept., Sumitomo Corporation Global Metals Co., Ltd. (Steel Product SBU)
• Kitaru Shimizu, Global Strategy & Coordination Department

Yaskawa Expands Advanced Manufacturing Operations in Bangalore

Yaskawa announced its plans to expand its Motion Control and Variable Frequency Drives unit in Bangalore, further consolidating Karnataka’s role as a hub for advanced manufacturing and automation technologies. The Government assured full facilitation and ecosystem support for this expansion.

Key participants from Yaskawa included:

• Takeshi Sasamoto, Director (Yaskawa India), Factory Manager, Drives Factory
• Takashi Kato, Manager, India Business Development Department
• Mahesh Kumar B, Company Secretary, AGM – General Affairs
• Yusuke Uchiyama, Assistant Manager, India Business Development Dept, Corporate Sales & Marketing Div

Shinko Nameplate to Establish INR 100 Crore Greenfield Facility Near Bangalore

Shinko Nameplate Co., a leader in automotive decorative plastic components, revealed plans to set up a new INR 100 crore manufacturing facility near Bangalore. Spread across 2.3 acres, the greenfield plant will produce front emblems, key fobs, and interior components for the automotive sector. The Government welcomed the investment and assured comprehensive support to accelerate operations.

Key participants from Shinko Nameplate included:

• Naoki Akiyama, President, Shinko HQ
• Takaaki Tokuhara, Director, Shinko HQ
• Hayato Akiyama, Director, Shinko HQ & Director of Shinko Nameplate India
• Vivek Kumar, Engineering Department – Design Section, HQ

Cataler to Invest INR 140 Crore in Bidadi Expansion

Cataler, a Toyota Group company specializing in emission control catalysts, confirmed its plans to expand its Bidadi operations with an additional INR 140 crore investment by 2030 under Karnataka’s New Industrial Policy 2025–2030.

Key participants from Cataler included:

• Nakaba Tamura, Vice President, Cataler Japan
• Junya Shirahata, Sales Officer, Cataler Japan
• Masaru Matsui, General Manager of Sales, Cataler Japan
• Koya Hasegawa, Director, Cataler India

Saginomiya Explores Karnataka Investment in Control Devices and Test Systems

Saginomiya, renowned for its advanced automatic control devices and energy-efficient test systems, expressed strong interest in establishing a new plant in Karnataka. The Government assured full facilitation for its India entry and future growth.

Key participants from Saginomiya included:

• Kazunori Aizu, Executive Officer, Head of Engineering Division, Saginomiya Seisakusho, Inc.
• Kazunori Aihara, General Manager, Technical Administration Dept, Saginomiya Seisakusho, Inc.
• Atsu Kono, Manager, Technical Administration Dept, Saginomiya Seisakusho, Inc.

The meetings were attended by senior officials including Shri Selvakumar S, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce & Industries, and Smt. Gunjan Krishna, IAS, Commissioner for Industrial Development & Director, Department of Industries & Commerce.