Tesla coming to India in early 2021, says Nitin Gadkari

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NEW DELHI:

Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, on Monday, said that US clean energy and electric vehicle company ‘Tesla’ will start operations in India in 2021.

The Minister suggested the push for electric cars in India and said several Indian companies were also working on electric vehicles that might be as advanced as the Tesla but more affordable.

He said that Tesla would kick off operations with sales and then maybe look at assembly and manufacturing based on demand for the cars.

“India is going to be (the) number 1 manufacturing hub for automobiles in five years,” Gadkari added.

Responding to a tweet in October, Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested that the company would come to India in 2021.

“Next year for sure,” Musk had replied when a handle called Tesla Club India asked him about the company’s progress in India.

In 2016, Tesla collected USD 1,000 deposits from interested buyers in India. Yet, those consumers are waiting for their cars while several stated they felt let down by the company.

In 2017, after a year of the inauguration of bookings, Musk said his cars might come to India in the summer but later blamed FDI norms for the delay.

“Maybe I’m misinformed, but was told that 30 per cent of parts must be sourced locally and the supply doesn’t yet exist in India to support that,” Musk tweeted.

Recent reports hint that the first model to launch in India will be the Tesla Model 3. Bookings could start in a few weeks.

However, according to media reports, the sales will happen only in the second half of 2021.

The completely built units will be imported and likely to be priced Rs 55 lakh onwards.

Tesla will no doubt handle sales directly, as it does in other parts of the world.

(Edited by Mandeep Joshi)