On Friday, the Karnataka government revealed a revised draft Electric Vehicle policy (2023-28), aiming to attract Rs 50,000 crore in investment and generate employment opportunities for one lakh people over the next five years, as reported by PTI.
The proposed policy is designed to position Karnataka as a trailblazer in electric mobility, emphasizing sustainable practices, inclusive growth, innovation, and the creation of a robust EV ecosystem across the state, stated M B Patil, the Minister for Large and Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development.
During an ideation session with representatives from the EV industry, Patil announced plans for a joint meeting of finance, energy, transport, and urban development ministers to address common issues before the official launch of the E-mobility policy.
Responding to suggestions from the EV industry, Patil outlined the government’s initiative to establish model EV cities in Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mysuru, among others, to promote EV adoption. The government is also in talks with the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to set up EV charging stations at 10 major toll booths along the Bengaluru-Pune national highway.
Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner, Department of Commerce and Industries, Government of Karnataka, presented highlights of the draft policy, indicating Gauribidanur (Chikkaballapur) and Chikkamalligewada (Dharwad) as potential locations for large EV clusters with readily available land.
The current EV policy of Karnataka, launched in 2017 and strengthened in 2021, is set to expire soon. The proposed revised draft policy includes increased capital subsidies for testing centers, expanded incentives for cell components, battery recycling facilities, and testing infrastructure. The policy also outlines the creation of EV clusters with various components like land parcels, factory facilities, incubation spaces, testing labs, proving grounds, and homologation facilities.
Additionally, the government offers capital subsidies for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, along with rental subsidies and continued stamp duty exemptions. The draft policy emphasizes rapid identification of land for charging stations aligned with power infrastructure, offering favorable power tariffs to accelerate EV adoption.
With Karnataka already standing as the third-highest state in EV registrations nationally, the proposed policy aims to further reshape the mobility landscape, leveraging Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) for skill development in the EV industry.
