The Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari visited Tesla factory near San Francisco in U.S. on Friday and offered to promote joint ventures between global leaders and the Indian automobile companies in electric car manufacturing.
By Belal Khan
Gadkari said the Indian Government was committed to encouraging alternate pollution free transport in the country by providing incentives to bio-fuel, CNG, Ethanol and electric vehicles.
He proposed to the Tesla senior executives to make India their Asia manufacturing hub and offered land near major Indian ports to facilitate export of their vehicles to South and South East Asian countries.
Tesla senior executive admitted that their manufacturing hub has to be outside the US for markets in rest of the world and appreciated the Indian offer of cooperation which they said will certainly be considered at the appropriate time in future. They said India will definitely be a market for their next generation low cost sustainable model-3
Replying to specific queries from the Transport and Highways Minister regarding manufacturing of electric trucks, buses and two wheelers, Tesla team said they have future plans for trucks and pick up vans but not buses and two wheelers.
They evinced keen interest in knowing whether there was any subsidy on electric vehicles in India. Gadkari asked Tesla executives to outline their proposals for entry into Indian market.
Gadkari apprised Tesla executives of the progress Indian automobile manufacturers have made in the field of electric vehicles and exuded confidence that very soon Indian market will become very competitive in this sector.
