Image: Office of the Prime Minister of India/Twitter

Tesla will be in India, says Elon Musk after meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the head of the company, the manufacturer wants to do this “as soon as possible.”

Elon Musk met with Narendra Modi

Tesla CEO Elon Musk met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday. It took place in New York. The Prime Minister is on a working visit to the United States. During the trip, Modi will meet with more than two dozen opinion leaders from various walks of life.

Musk said Tesla is coming to India

After meeting with Modi, Musk said that Tesla intends to invest in India “as soon as possible.” He noted that the Prime Minister is pushing the company to make significant investments in the country. For now, the company is weighing the right time to do so.

“[Modi] really cares about India because he’s pushing us to make significant investments in India, which is something we intend to do. We are just trying to figure out the right timing,” Musk told reporters after the meeting.

“I am confident that Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as humanly possible. It's quite likely that there will be a significant investment relationship with India in the future” he said, without specifying a timeline. Musk also said that he tentatively plans to visit India next year.

Tesla has been looking for an opportunity to enter the Indian market for many years

Tesla's attempts to enter the Indian market have been going on for several years. Back in 2017, the company wanted to start selling its electric vehicles in India. However, the plans were put on hold as Tesla was unable to negotiate a reduction in import duties, which are the highest in the world in India.

Later, the company even formed a local team. At the end of 2020, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari, stated that Tesla will launch an order configurator in India in 2021. However, negotiations again stalled and the company's plans were once again shelved.

In the spring of 2023, Tesla again tried to reach a compromise with the Indian government. The company sent a delegation to the country where discussions were held with local politicians. According to rumors, Tesla may present a development plan in India in 3-6 months. At the moment, there are discussions around the construction of an assembly plant there.

Musk was pleased with the meeting

After the meeting, Musk said he had a “fantastic meeting” with Modi. He is “incredibly excited about the future of India,” he added.

“[Modi] really wants to do the right thing for India. He wants to be open, he wants to be supportive to the companies. And obviously, at the same time, make sure that it accrues to India’s advantage,” Musk said.

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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts; follow him on Twitter

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