Tesla coming to India? Elon Musk drops major hint

Months after Elon Musk shelved his plans to launch Tesla in India, the billionaire has dropped a big hint about his India plans.

On Friday, Tesla's founder, Elon Musk, extended his congratulations to Narendra Modi on his recent election victory, which is now being seen as a precursor to Tesla's entry into the subcontinent.

"Congratulations @narendramodi on your victory in the world's largest democratic elections! Looking forward to my companies doing exciting work in India," Musk posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).


This message brings fresh hope for Tesla's potential entry into the Indian market.




In June last year, Musk met with Modi during the latter's US visit and stated that he planned to visit India in 2024 while expressing confidence that Tesla would enter the Indian market soon.

His proposed visit had raised expectations that he would announce plans for electric car maker Tesla to set up shop in the country, along with his satellite communication venture Starlink.

It was also expected that Musk would announce plans for Tesla to set up its manufacturing unit in India, with investments potentially amounting to billions of dollars, paving the way for selling Tesla electric cars in India at the earliest.

Not just electric cars, he is also eyeing the Indian market for his satellite internet business, Starlink, for which regulatory approvals are awaited.

Musk had in the past sought import duty reductions in India to facilitate selling Tesla cars in the country.

Musk's plan to visit India in April came on the heels of the government announcing a new electric vehicle policy, under which import duty concessions will be given to companies setting up manufacturing units in the country with a minimum investment of USD 500 million, a move aimed at attracting major global players like Tesla.