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Amidst Tesla reinvigorating plans to set up manufacturing presence in India, senior executives of the company met the newly appointed CEO of Invest India Nivruti Rai on Thursday and are likely to meet commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal in a few days, sources told ET.
Details of the meeting that took place on Thursday could not be ascertained.
“Tesla executives have met Rai and there are a spate of meetings lined up with other officials over the next few days, including with Goyal,” one of the people cited above said.
ET had reported on July 25 that the company’s top executives were expected to meet several officials and that this follows a virtual meeting between Goyal and Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier this month.
ET had learnt earlier that the stakeholder ministries — the ministry of commerce and industry as well as the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) — have been discussing the electric carmaker’s plans to set up car and battery manufacturing facilities in India since Musk met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the US last month.
“Multiple ministries are involved in these talks. Top company executives are expected to visit soon,” said an official.
“Musk had a meeting with Goyal virtually about two weeks ago. It was centred around how Tesla can set up a manufacturing presence in India,” another person in the know had told ET.
The largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the world currently has factories in China, Germany, the US, Canada, Mexico and the Netherlands.
On July 13, ET reported that Tesla held talks with Union government officials, exploring the possibility of getting its auto parts and electronics chain to India, as well as discussing possible incentives and tax breaks.
Tesla has expressed interest in bringing its own supply chain ecosystem to India, even as the government asked the company to evaluate the existing domestic auto components supply chain.
The EV manufacturer has been wanting to sell its cars in India, but the government has not accepted its demand for lower duties, instead suggesting the company manufacture its cars in the fast-growing Indian market.
Tesla wanted 40% import duty on fully assembled electric cars, against the current rate of 60% applicable on those priced below USD 40,000 and 100% on those above that threshold.
