Karnataka Industries Minister M B Patil has rejected claims that Honda Motor is preparing to move out of the state, saying the company continues to manufacture two-wheelers, employ more than 7,800 people and plan electric vehicle production at its Narasapura campus in Kolar district.
Patil was responding on Sunday to Union Minister for Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy, who had alleged that Honda was planning to leave Karnataka. Patil said the state government had allotted Honda 135 acres at Narasapura in phases since 2011 and that the company had been manufacturing two-wheelers at the site since 2013.
According to the Karnataka minister, the Narasapura facility currently produces 10,000 vehicles a day. The employment figure cited by him includes more than 7,800 people working at the manufacturing operation, underlining the scale of the facility within the state’s industrial network.
Patil also pointed to Honda’s separate logistics presence in Karnataka. The company operates a 35-acre spare parts warehousing and distribution facility at Adinarayana Hosahalli in Doddaballapura taluk, which caters to the southern region, he said.
The minister further said Honda was keen to enter electric two-wheeler manufacturing and planned to begin production at its Narasapura campus in the coming days. The statement places the disputed question of Honda’s presence alongside a proposed shift into electric mobility, although no production capacity or investment amount for the electric two-wheelers was provided in the report.
Patil denied that the state government’s dealings with Honda had created a reason for the company to leave. “There have been no lapses on the part of the State Government in its dealings with Honda, nor has the company expressed any dissatisfaction with the State,” he said.
The conflicting statements have put attention on the status of one of Karnataka’s established vehicle manufacturing sites and on the state’s industrial land and employment commitments around Narasapura. The facility’s reported output, workforce and regional distribution operations indicate that any change in its status would have implications beyond a single factory, although the report does not establish that Honda has announced a relocation.
For now, the state government’s position is that Honda remains operational in Karnataka and is preparing to add electric two-wheeler production at Narasapura. The next reported milestone is the planned start of electric vehicle manufacturing at the campus.
