Tesla (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk told Reuter’s partner ANI that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was pressing the vehicle company to make a “significant investment” in the country.
After meeting Modi on Tuesday during his state visit to the U.S., he made his remarks. Musk will update Modi on India’s manufacturing plans, according to Reuters.
Musk said India has great potential for solar power, stationary battery packs, and electric vehicles, and he plans to bring SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to India.
Musk told ANI that Modi “really cares about India because he’s pushing us to make significant investments in India, which we intend to do.”
According to the foreign ministry, Modi asked the electric car company to engage in India’s commercial space and electric mobility industries.
Musk stated, “I am confident that Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as possible.” Musk claimed he is “a fan” of Modi and will visit India next year.
Elon Musk, great meeting you. Modi tweeted hours after the meeting, “We had multifaceted conversations on energy to spirituality.” Tesla executives met with Indian bureaucrats and ministers last month to discuss building a car and battery production plant in India.
Musk said last month that Tesla would likely choose a new factory location before the end of the year, adding that India was an interesting option.
Due to Washington-Beijing tensions, U.S. corporations must minimize their industrial dependence on China. Tesla postponed its India entry last year because of high import taxes.
Days after Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey accused India of threatening to shut down the network for not following content takedown demands during a 2020-2021 protest, Modi met with Musk, who owns Twitter. India branded the claim an “outright lie.”
Twitter must obey local governments. Musk told reporters on Tuesday that we’ll be shut down if we don’t follow local regulations.
