Intro
Minister MB Patil says Mandya land ready for proposed ARAI testing facility
Bengaluru
Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil has informed Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy that 100 acres of land is available in Mandya district for establishing the country’s first construction equipment and infrastructure testing plant under the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI).
In a letter responding to Kumaraswamy’s communication, Patil said that around 105 acres of government land has been identified within the limits of Muddanaghatta and Heggaditihalli villages in Basaralu hobli of Mandya taluk. The land, as reported by the Deputy Commissioner of Mandya district, is located just 500 metres from the Mandya–Nagamangala State Highway, offering strong logistical connectivity.
Patil noted that the extent of land available exceeds the requirement sought by the Union Ministry. He urged Kumaraswamy to direct ARAI officials and the Union Ministry team to visit Karnataka at the earliest and conduct a joint inspection of the identified site. If the land is found suitable, the State government would proceed with sanctioning it for the proposed plant, he said.
The Minister also stated that ARAI authorities could coordinate directly with S. Selvakumar, Principal Secretary of the State Industries Department, to take the proposal forward and expedite procedural formalities.
The proposed ARAI facility is expected to play a crucial role in testing construction machinery and infrastructure equipment, strengthening India’s domestic manufacturing and research ecosystem while supporting the “Make in India” initiative.
Separately, Patil highlighted that he had recently met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav to submit a series of requests related to rail connectivity. These included the sanctioning of a Vande Bharat Sleeper Express between Bengaluru and Vijayapura, introduction of daytime special trains on the same route, and the development of a high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Mumbai.
Patil met Vaishnav after the launch of electronics manufacturing by Jet Work Company at the Hi-Tech Hardware Park in Bengaluru, during which he handed over the petitions. According to Patil, the Railway Minister assured him that the proposals would be examined positively.
Emphasising the strategic importance of connectivity, Patil said Bengaluru, as the country’s technology capital, and Mumbai, the financial capital, must be linked through the best possible transport infrastructure. In this context, he also urged that the proposed Mumbai–Pune high-speed rail corridor be extended up to Bengaluru to boost economic integration and industrial growth.