Krones inaugurates Rs 315-crore bottling equipment plant in Karnataka

Germany-based Krones, a global manufacturer of beverage and liquid-food processing and packaging technology, on Wednesday inaugurated its new manufacturing facility at Vemagal in Karnataka’s Kolar district.

The facility, built in a record 18 months, entails an investment of Rs 315 crore and is spread across 16,000 sq metres on a 30-acre site. It is expected to create around 400 jobs.

Karnataka Industries minister M B Patil, who inaugurated the facility, said the state government approved Krones’ investment proposal in October 2024 and allotted 30 acres of land to the company. The foundation stone was laid on February 20, 2025.


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“Within just 18 months, this impressive facility has come up. This is a remarkable achievement and sends a positive message to investors,” Patil said in a statement.

The plant will manufacture Krones ErgoBloc packaging systems for the Indian market, along with machinery used to produce different types of bottles. The facility will also manufacture machines capable of producing up to 100,000 bottles an hour, the minister said.

Krones employs around 21,000 people globally and reported a turnover of $5.65 billion last year, according to Patil.

Highlighting the industrial potential of Vemagal and Kolar due to their proximity to Bengaluru, Patil urged companies setting up operations in the region to create employment opportunities for local youth based on their educational qualifications.

He also said the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has emerged as a key pillar of the state's investor-friendly industrial ecosystem.

Kolar MP Mallesha Babu, MLA Kottanuru Manjunath, former MLC V R Sudarshan, designated German Consul General Dr Christoph Dorschfeldt, Krones COO Ralf Goldbrunner, Managing Director Thomas Woolfer and KIADB Special Land Acquisition Officer Suraj were among those present at the inauguration.