Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Tesla factory in California, USA in September 2015. (File photo)
- Attempts to call Tesla if Vibrant Summit takes place
- The Maharashtra government also spoke to the company on October 22
- Tata Motors currently manufactures e-cars at Sanand in Gujarat
The Gujarat government has been active in bringing Tesla, the world’s most popular electric car maker, to the state after Alan Musk, the founder of the US-based company, recently expressed interest in India. Talking to Divya Bhaskar, a senior state government official said, “We are in touch with Tesla and we are trying to get Tesla to come to Gujarat.” We have started communication with the company official. However, the official did not disclose further details and said the whole matter is still at an early stage.
Tesla may come to Vibrant Gujarat
According to the official, communication with Tesla has been started recently and we will discuss in the coming days how many investment opportunities there are in Gujarat. Apart from this, we will also try to get Tesla to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit to be held in January 2021. However, the conversation has not started yet so nothing more can be said about this.
The Maharashtra government has also extended an invitation
For the first time since Tesla’s announcement, the Maharashtra government has indicated its readiness to provide land to Tesla to build its plant in India and has started searching for land in a good location for it. According to industry sources, the government is likely to provide land in prime locations in Pune, Nashik and Nagpur. Maharashtra Environment Minister Aditya Thackeray and Industry Minister Subhash Desai held a video conference with the company’s top management.
This evening I had the opportunity to participate in a video call by Industries Minister @Subhash_Desai ji with @Tesla team to invite them to Maharashtra. I was present not because of just the investment but my firm belief in electric mobility & sustainability @elonmusk
– Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) October 22, 2020
Tesla told Indian fans – will definitely come next year
Tesla Club India has a fan handle of Tesla’s Indian fans on Twitter. “We are optimistic about Tesla’s entry into India and would like to hear if there is any progressive talk about this,” Alan Musk was asked in a post on the handle on October 2. In response to this post, Alan Musk said, ‘Definitely next year’.
Also the possibility of an alliance with an Indian company
According to auto industry insiders, Tesla may not enter the Indian market directly and in such a scenario it may partner with an Indian auto company that manufactures electric vehicles. Experts believe that Mahindra could be at the forefront of this race if that happens.