Will be happy to partner Tesla: Telangana Minister KTR's message to Elon Musk

Telangana minister KT Rama Rao on Friday invited Tesla CEO Elon Musk to set shop in the state and said that his government will be "happy to partner Tesla in working through the challenges" it is facing in India.

Rao's invitation comes a day after the business tycoon said that Tesla Inc is "still working through a lot of challenges with the government" in India to launch its electric cars.

"Hey Elon, I am the Industry & Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India. Will be happy to partner Tesla in working through the challenges to set shop in India/Telangana," Rao said responding to Musk's tweet.

"Our state is a champion in sustainability initiatives & a top notch business destination in India," he added.

Musk, while responding to a Twitter user on Thursday who had asked if there was any update on the company launch in India, had said that he is still working through "a lot of challenges" with the government.

Tesla is expected to face tough competition from other foreign companies, including Mercedes-Benz, which announced on Wednesday that it will launch a locally assembled EQS -- the electric version of its flagship S-Class sedan -- in India by the fourth quarter.