ISN Exclusive: Karnataka trumps other states! EV startup River finalises Whitefield for new manufacturing plant

Manufacturing in India is picking up and startups appear to be playing a critical role.

In line with those ambitions, River – an EV startup in Bengaluru – has finalised a land parcel to set up its manufacturing plant in Whitefield in Karnataka, people privy to updates have informed IndianStartupNews (ISN).

As per several media reports, River was scouting for a land parcel since July 2024 to set up its second and largest manufacturing plant. With the new plant, River plans to increase manufacturing capacity to 5 lakh units per year, up from 1 lakh units currently.

He had told ET earlier that River would need 25-50 acres of land and was actively evaluating options in Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

River chose not to reply to ISN.

The investment makes sense as River is gearing up to raise around Rs 800 crore from Anicut Capital, Claypond Capital, Elev8 and others, as per a report on Moneycontrol.

River introduced its first product, the Indie, in October 2023, described as the "SUV of scooters." The product was fully designed and developed at River's R&D facility in Bengaluru and is manufactured at its first factory in Hoskote, as per an earlier company statement.

International investors such as Yamaha Motor Co, Al-Futtaim Automotive, Lowercarbon Capital, Toyota Ventures, and Maniv Mobility are some of the other notable stakeholders.