BENGALURU: The newly sworn Congress-led Karnataka government under the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has extended an offer of a 100-acre plot to Foxconn Industrial Internet (FII), a subsidiary of Foxconn one of the world’s largest manufacturers of iPhones. The firm is set to invest over US$ 1 billion in the state and the project is likely to generate nearly 14,000 jobs.

The said plot is located within the Japanese Industrial Township situated in the Tumakuru district and it will operate as an ancillary unit to Foxconn’s main iPhone assembly facility the company has planned near the international airport in Bengaluru, making the smartphone cover and casing as well as other components.

A delegation headed by the FII CEO Brand Cheng met chief minister Siddaramaiah and medium industries minister M B Patil, IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge and other senior bureaucrats at the Vidhana Soudha earlier last week to discuss the matter. 

During the meeting, CM Siddaramaiah assured Cheng that 100 acres of land would be provided near the Japanese Industrial Area in Tumakuru, while the transfer of a 300-acre plot at the designated IT investment region (ITIR) in Devanahalli location is in its final stages, after which the Taiwanese conglomerate will commence construction of its advanced facility.

FII specializes in the production of electronic devices, cloud service equipment, and industrial robots. Apart from Apple, their clientele includes leading technology companies Apple, Amazon, Lenovo, Huawei, and Dell. 

The CM has told FII and other potential investors that apart from good infrastructure, logistics, and talent base, Karnataka can boast of excellent connectivity to major markets with two international airports and five regional airports, 47 national highways, and 145 state highways. 

Moreover, with a coastline of 320 km, Karnataka features 9 minor ports and a major port in Mangaluru and access to Chennai and Krishnapatnam ports is only about 300 km to 400 km away.

He and Patil also encouraged Foxconn to look at Karnataka for manufacturing products beyond iPhones' and also consider other technology products. 

Priyank Kharge later tweeted, 'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister of Commerce and Industries MB Patil have assured Foxconn Industrial Internet of a conducive environment for growth and development in the state. The partnership holds tremendous promise for boosting industrial growth, creating huge employment opportunities and propelling Karnataka as a leader in the vertical.'