Tesla Manufacturing in India Soon: Errol Musk
- Errol Musk confident Tesla will establish a manufacturing plant in India, citing collaboration between PM Modi and Elon Musk.
- India aims for ambitious EV adoption targets by 2030, boosting demand for local manufacturing.
- Other global automakers show EV manufacturing interest in India, while Tesla currently focuses on showroom launches.
Errol Musk, father of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, has expressed strong confidence that Tesla will soon establish a manufacturing plant in India. Speaking to IANS during his visit to the national capital on Monday, the 79-year-old South African businessman said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Elon Musk will work together to find a mutually beneficial solution for bringing Tesla’s manufacturing to the country.
Errol Musk emphasized that both parties will have their respective interests in mind. “Prime Minister Modi has to look at the interests of India when it comes to bringing Tesla to the country. And Elon has to look at the interests of Tesla as a company. So, between them, they will work something out that is to the best advantage of Tesla as well as India”, he said, while clarifying that he was speaking as a private individual since Tesla is a public company.
The elder Musk was unequivocal about Tesla’s future presence in India. “I have no doubt that there will be a Tesla manufacturing plant in India”, he said. “There has to be (a Tesla plant in India). India is one of the most important places in the world”.
Errol Musk currently serves as Global Advisor to homegrown Servotech Renewable Power System Ltd., and his visit to India highlights the growing global interest in the country’s rapid progress towards sustainable development and leadership in green and electric technologies.
India has set ambitious electric vehicle (EV) adoption targets, aiming for 30 percent EV penetration in the passenger vehicle segment, 80 percent in the combined two-wheeler and three-wheeler segment, and 70 percent in commercial vehicles by 2030.
Earlier this year in April, Elon Musk held a detailed discussion with PM Modi covering potential collaboration in technology and innovation. Musk took to his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to say, “It was an honour to speak with PM Modi. I am looking forward to visiting India later this year”.
PM Modi also shared details of the conversation, stating, “Spoke to Elon Musk and talked about various issues, including the topics we covered during our meeting in Washington DC earlier this year. We discussed the immense potential for collaboration in the areas of technology and innovation. India remains committed to advancing our partnerships with the US in these domains”.
Meanwhile, Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday noted that several major automobile manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz, Skoda-Volkswagen (VW), Hyundai, and Kia have expressed keen interest in manufacturing electric vehicles in India. However, regarding Tesla, the Minister said, “We are not actually expecting manufacturing from them as they are only to start showrooms. They are currently not interested in manufacturing in India”.
With India’s EV market poised for rapid growth and global players expressing interest, all eyes are now on how quickly Tesla and the Indian government can finalize plans for a manufacturing footprint in the country.
