The start of this week has been an emotional roller-coaster for Indian Tesla enthusiasts! They have gone from eagerly expecting the launch of electric vehicles in the country this summer, to local sourcing being a roadblock in the same and then again being hopeful of Model 3 shipments in the near future. The Indian government has clarified its FDI policies in a tweet directed at CEO Elon Musk and said that he truly has been ‘misinformed’ about the same.
In a tweet sent out from the official Make in India handle, the government mentions that the country’s policies ‘does not mandate any such minimum sourcing’ of components to either manufacture or sell in the nation. The sale could either be on whole or retail platforms, including imported goods, which also don’t require to source any components locally (not even the 30 percent as stated in Musk’s tweet earlier in the week). Here are the pointer dispensed by the government:
.@elonmusk With respect to news reports on launch plans of Tesla in India being delayed, please note some key clarifications#MakeInIndia pic.twitter.com/9RFICGM9Kk
— Make in India (@makeinindia) May 23, 2017
This swift move from the Indian government comes on the heels of Musk tweeting about the chances of Model 3 being launched in the country being bleak due to some ‘futile’ local sourcing norms, which he had been informed about. But, this gives Musk another reason to mull over his original timeline, i.e Summer, for the scheduled launch of the mass-production electric sedan — Model 3. It also comes on the heels of India’s push for an electric and sustainable economy to curb problems of pollution and congestion in the cities.
The government had to step up and clarify its stance on these policies because they’ve been extremely eager to welcome Tesla to set up one of their upcoming Gigafactories in the nation. And it has not only proposed plans for the same but also visited the company’s factories in the United States at multiple occasions.
First, our honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Tesla’s Fremont facility back in September 2015. He had then discussed the implications of renewable energy and how it can drive the country towards a sustainable future. Then, Nitin Gadkari, transport and highways minister of the country, also paid a visit to the automaker’s facilities to not only check out the revolutionary tech but also to convince them to step foot into India — setting up assembly plant and export dock.
Now, keep your eyes peeled as we await more information on this front. Musk should probably acknowledge and tweet something with regards to the same soon enough. Are you once again excited for the prospects of Tesla Model 3 coming to India?
