Vemagal, Kolar district: A ₹1,000-crore Poddar Plumbing Systems manufacturing facility inaugurated at Vemagal is expected to create 3,000 direct jobs, Industries Minister M. B. Patil said on Saturday, while urging the company to give local people at least 60% of its jobs.
Patil asked the company to prioritise members of families displaced by the project. The facility in Phase II of the Vemagal Industrial Area will also have a skill development centre, while the company plans to build 150 houses for employees. He said it had also been asked to construct a dormitory.
Manufacturing jobs and workers’ welfare
The minister said Karnataka was prioritising genuine manufacturing and other industrial units that create employment and support workers’ welfare, rather than allotting industrial land for warehouses.
The new eco-friendly facility will manufacture plumbing pipes and other pipe products, including for overseas markets, he said, linking the project to the state’s new industrial policy.
33 acres allotted for Poddar Vemagal plant
Patil said the government had approved the investment proposal and allotted 33 acres on February 24, 2025. The land was handed over that April, and the foundation stone was laid in July. He said the complex project had commenced operations within a year, citing it as an example of the state’s industry-friendly policies.
He also pointed to manufacturing operations established in Vemagal in recent years, including the Krones bottling plant, an Airbus H125 helicopter facility, Poland-based TZMO and M0 (M-Zero).
Poddar family returns with new pipe brand
Patil said members of the Poddar family had also founded Ashirvad Pipes. After moving on from that business, they had launched the Poddar brand under their family name following an eight-year gap, choosing Vemagal for Karnataka’s favourable industrial environment.
Kolar MLA Kothur Manjunath, MLC Anil Kumar and former Legislative Council Chairman V. R. Sudarshan also addressed the gathering. Poddar Group Chairman Deepak Poddar welcomed participants.
Managing Director Varun Poddar and Head of Manufacturing Shivakumar briefed the gathering on the facility’s operations. Vemagal Town Panchayat President Anusha was also present.
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