comScore
  • Elon Musk meets PM Modi, says Tesla is planning to invest in India

    National
    Elon Musk meets PM Modi, says Tesla is planning to invest in India

    According to a video posted on Twitter by Indian broadcaster ANI, Musk called Modi a "fan" and mentioned that the prime leader visited a Tesla factory in California several years ago.

    Digital
    Desk:
    Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla,
    stated on Tuesday that the electric carmaker plans to invest in India "as
    soon as humanly possible."



    During
    Modi's state visit to the United States, he met with Indian Prime Minister
    Narendra Modi
    in New York. Reuters had reported that Musk would tell Modi on
    plans to establish a manufacturing base in India.



    Follow
    live updates from the Prime Minister's visit here.



    "I
    am confident that Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as humanly
    possible," Musk said in response to a reporter's question on Tesla's plans
    to invest in India, adding that he planned to visit the country next year.



    "I would like to
    thank the prime minister for his support, and hopefully we'll be able to
    announce something in the not-too-distant future," he continued.



    According to a video
    posted on Twitter by Indian broadcaster ANI, Musk called Modi a "fan"
    and mentioned that the prime leader visited a Tesla factory in California
    several years ago.



    "India has more
    promise than any other large country on the planet." He (Modi) genuinely
    cares about India because he is pressuring us to make major investments in the
    country, which we intend to do. "We're just trying to figure out the best
    time," Musk explained.



    According to him, India
    has a high potential for a sustainable energy future that includes solar
    electricity, stationary battery packs, and electric vehicles. Musk, who is also
    the CEO of SpaceX, stated that the company intends to introduce Starlink
    satellite internet service to India.

    Also Read:  IIT Bombay received Rs 315 crore donation from Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani



    Tesla executives visited
    India last month and met with Indian bureaucrats and ministers about building a
    manufacturing facility for cars and batteries in India.



    Musk stated last month
    that Tesla would most likely choose a location for a new factory before the end
    of this year, adding that India would be an intriguing option for a new
    facility.



    In the wake of tensions
    between Washington and Beijing, US corporations must minimise their reliance on
    China as a manufacturing base. Tesla postponed its India entry aspirations last
    year due to high import tax structures.



    Modi's meeting with
    Musk, who owns Twitter, comes only days after Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey
    accused India of threatening to shut down the network if content takedown
    orders were not followed during a 2020-2021 protest. The charge was labelled a
    "outright lie" by India.



    Musk has not commented
    on the episode, which caused a political storm in India.