Industries Minister Subhash Desai on Wednesday said US electric car major Tesla Inc. is in talks with Maharashtra government for setting up a manufacturing unit in the state.
"The company (Tesla) is eager to start retail outlet for sale of its electric vehicles in Maharashtra," Desai said.
The company had taken a similar decision for Bengaluru earlier, but haven't set-up a manufacturing unit there.
Maharashtra is already home to a host of domestic and foreign automobile manufacturers with Chakan Industrial belt near Pune, a major automobile hub in the state.
Tesla Inc. co-founder and chief executive, Elon Musk, had earlier said the company will enter the Indian market in 2021. In January, the company was scouting sites for opening a facility in Mumbai, initially for the sale of electric cars, which will be imported here.
An official from the department of industry, involved in the talks with the US major, had told The Free Press Journal, “Tesla has launched an extensive exercise to look for sites for the sale and marketing of its electric cars, which will be imported initially. The company will speak to Tata Power and Adani Electric about charging facilities. Besides it will also seek charging facilities at Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port. The company has sought the intervention of the state government and the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation so that it can kick off its plan here.”
The company's move came after Industry Minister Subhash Desai and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray had, in October 2020, invited it to set up shop in Maharashtra.
