NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Tesla Inc moved a step closer to launch in India later this year by registering a company in the country, a government dossier showed on Tuesday.
Tesla Motors India and Energy Private Limited were established on January 8 with its registered office in the southern city of Bengaluru, a hub for several global technology companies.
According to the documentation, the Indian unit has three directors, including David Feinstein, who is currently a senior executive at Tesla, according to his LinkedIn profile.
India’s Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari told a local newspaper in December that the US electric car manufacturer would start sales and then look at assembly and manufacturing.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has tweeted several times in recent years, including as recently as October 2020, about a looming invasion of India.
The move comes as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promotes the production and use of electric vehicles to reduce the country’s oil dependence and reduce pollution.
But the efforts were stimulated by a lack of investment in manufacturing and infrastructure such as charging stations.
To boost investment, India plans to raise $ 4.6 billion for businesses that build advanced battery-making facilities, according to a government proposal from Reuters.
Reporting by Aditi Shah. Edited by Mark Potter