Elon Musk's Tweet Makes Indian States Clamour for Tesla Plant

Musk tweeted that Tesla was "still working through a lot of challenges with the government," without giving further details.

Advertisement
By Agence France-Presse | Updated: 17 January 2022 17:17 IST
Highlights
  • Maharashtra's development minister touted state's progressive credentials
  • Musk has tweeted numerous times since his "challenges" comment
  • New Delhi has introduced incentives for foreign carmakers

Tesla's hopes to sell its vehicles in India have been stalled by efforts to negotiate lower import duties

Indian politicians are clamouring for Elon Musk's attention on Twitter, chasing the coveted right to host a Tesla factory, after the billionaire said government "challenges" were delaying his electric car company's local launch.

Tesla's hopes to sell its vehicles in one of the world's biggest markets have been stalled by efforts to negotiate lower import duties, which can be as high as 100 percent.

After being quizzed about a potential launch date last week, Musk tweeted that his California-based company was "still working through a lot of challenges with the government", without giving further details. 

Advertisement

The comments have since prompted ministers from several Indian states to respond on Twitter with public overtures to the world's wealthiest man - himself a prolific user of the social media platform.

"Hey Elon, I am the Industry & Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India," KT Rama Rao tweeted in response to Musk on Friday.

"Our state is a champion in sustainability initiatives & a top notch business destination."

Advertisement

Three other states put their own cases forward over the weekend. 

West Bengal's minority affairs minister said his corner of the country boasted the best infrastructure and "vision".

Advertisement

In Mumbai the development minister touted his state's "progressive" credentials.

And in Punjab, lawmaker and retired international cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu promised a commitment to green jobs and sustainable development. 

Advertisement

Musk has tweeted numerous times since his "challenges" comment last week, but has so far not responded to any of his Indian entreaties.

New Delhi has introduced incentives for foreign carmakers to manufacture their vehicles locally but Musk has said he wants to gauge demand with imports first.

India imposes a 100 percent tax on imported electric vehicles worth more than $40,000 (roughly Rs. 30 lakh), and Tesla fears the steep duties will price them out of the cost-sensitive Indian market.

Electric cars accounted for only 1.3 percent of all vehicles sold in the country in 2020-21, according to research by digital consultancy Techarc.

The government's target is for 30 percent of private cars to be electric by 2030 as part of a wider push to decarbonise the transport sector.


Why are Galaxy S21 FE and OnePlus 9RT launching now? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Elon Musk, Twitter, Tesla
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. iQOO 15 Vapour Chamber Cooling System Performance Teased Ahead of Launch
  2. Vivo X300, X300 Pro Launched With MediaTek Dimensity 9500 SoC: See Price
  3. Vivo Pad 5e Launched With Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC At This Price
  4. Bitcoin Price Slips to $113,500 as Traders Await This Official's Remarks
  5. Vivo X300 Pro Tops Xiaomi 17 Pro Max in AnTuTu's CPU Test
  6. Nothing Phone 3a Lite Tipped to Launch Soon in These Two Colourways
  7. Oppo Reno 15, Reno 15 Pro Key Specifications Tipped Ahead of Launch
  8. Realme GT 8 Pro's Ricoh GR Camera Technology Revealed Ahead of Launch
  9. How to Update to Windows 11 Before Microsoft Ends Windows 10 Support
  1. Nintendo Switch 2 Port of Assassin's Creed Shadows Leaks on French Retailer's Website
  2. Microsoft Introduces MAI-Image-1, Its First Natively Developed Image Generation AI Model
  3. Vivo X300 Pro Tops Xiaomi 17 Pro Max on AnTuTu's CPU Test; Dimensity 9500 Reportedly Cheaper Than Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
  4. Bitcoin Price Slips to $113,500 as Traders Await US Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s Remarks
  5. Honor MagicPad 3 Pro Confirmed to Launch With 12,450mAh Battery, Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC
  6. Oppo Reno 15 Pro, Reno 15 Key Specifications Tipped Ahead of Launch; May Come With 50-Megapixel Telephoto Lens
  7. Realme GT 8 Pro's Ricoh GR Camera Technology Revealed Ahead of Imminent Launch
  8. Noise Master Buds Max Launched in India With Sound by Bose, Active Noise Cancellation: Price, Specifications
  9. Google to Invest $15 Billion to Set Up AI-Focused Data Centre in India
  10. Google Meet Now Lets You Apply AI-Powered Makeup Effects During Video Calls
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.