American electric vehicle and clean energy brand, Tesla INC. formed an Indian subsidiary called Tesla India Motors And Energy Private Limited at the beginning of 2021. The Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises Mr Nitin Gadkari had already confirmed that the electric vehicle manufacturer will be entering the Indian market space and the new company was incorporated on 8th January 2021 and registered in Karnataka.
Now, it is being reported that the California-based electric vehicle manufacturer will setup up shop in Gujarat, India. The additional chief secretary (ACS), Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) and the ACS, industry and mines department, is said to be in discussions with Tesla and is also said to be offering various incentives as well as all possible assistance for the company to set-up base in the state.
The state of Gujarat is also the house for manufacturing plants of various automobile companies and has become an automobile hub as various MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises) are the key players in supporting these big manufacturers. Additionally, the state also houses a seaport which could aid in exports and the majority of markets are also in close proximity. The brand is also being lured with new industrial policies and other advantages such as the state being an emerging hub for the renewable source of energy.
Apart from Gujarat, Tesla is also being reported to have been in talks with the Governments of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to set-up their facilities. The Chief Minister of Karnataka has also congratulated the Mr Elon Musk the CEO and product architect of Tesla Inc, as well as confirmed that the brand will be setting up an R&D unit in Bengaluru as well as begin vehicle operations.
The brand, however, has not revealed when it plans to bring its autonomous electric vehicles in the Indian market and how much they would cost.