The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka has extended an invitation to Tesla CEO and Twitter owner Elon Musk to set up businesses in the southern state.
Karnataka’s Minister for Commerce and Industries, Infrastructure MB Patil tweeted that Karnataka is the “ideal destination” for Tesla’s expansion into India.
“If Tesla considers setting up a plant in India, Karnataka, with its great potential and capabilities, I must say, is The Destination,” he wrote on Twitter.
“As a progressive state and a thriving hub of innovation and technology, Karnataka stands ready to support and provide the necessary facilities for Tesla and other ventures of Elon Musk, including Starlink,” Patil wrote, tagging Musk’s Twitter handle.
India has strong potential for a sustainable energy future including solar power, stationary battery packs and electric vehicles, Musk said, adding that he hopes to bring SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service to India as well.
After a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday during PM Modi ‘s state visit to the United States, Musk told reporters, “He (Modi) really cares about India because he’s pushing us to make significant investments in India, which is something we intend to do.”
Musk added that he was confident that Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as “humanly possible.”
Later, India’s foreign ministry spokesperson tweeted saying Modi had invited Musk to “explore opportunities in India for investments in electric mobility and rapidly expanding commercial space sector.”
Last month, Tesla officials visited India and held talks with Indian bureaucrats and ministers on establishing a manufacturing base for cars and batteries in India.
Musk also stated that Tesla would probably pick a location for a new factory by the end of this year, adding India was an interesting place for a new plant.
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