Maharashtra govt invites Tesla Inc to invest in state

NEW DELHI:  Weeks after Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the electric carmaker will enter India next year, The Maharashtra state government said on Friday that it had held a meeting with Tesla executives to invite them to invest in the state.

Maharashtra tourism and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray tweeted that he and industries minister Subhash Desai had held a video call with Tesla executives on Thursday. “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,” he said. He added, “We are firmly committed to policy building and changes for sustainable development and I personally believe that electric mobility, supported by renewable energy is the way ahead. Let’s hope we can help this thought become mainstream soon.” Maharashtra is already home to a number of domestic and foreign automobile manufacturers, including Bajaj Auto, Tata Motors, and Mercedes Benz, and the Chakan Industrial belt near Pune is a major automobile hub.

Chinese auto major Great Wall Motors had also announced investments worth  $1 billion earlier this year in the state, but had to stall the plan due to growing border tensions between the two countries. Experts feel that Tesla’s possible arrival will be a big boost for India’s EV ambitions given the company’s expertise and economies of scale. However, India is yet to build a widespread charging network that would support EVs. 

Musk however, recently spoke about slashing battery costs in half and delivering an “affordable” electric car. “In three years... we can do a $25,000 car that will be basically on par (with), maybe slightly better than, a comparable gasoline car,” he had claimed. At present only a handful of manufacturers sell electric cars in India.