Tesla's Musk hints India entry in 2021

Bengaluru: Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk indicated on Friday that the US electric carmaker will make a foray into India in 2021. "Next year for sure," Musk said on Twitter in reply to a post with a photograph of a T-shirt with the message: "India wants Tesla".

"Thanks for waiting," Musk said. Tesla's entry could come at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is increasingly becoming focussed on promoting the use and manufacture of electric vehicles.

India's auto sector, already reeling from a slowdown in demand last year, has been further hit by the Covid pandemic and carmakers are seeking government support to push sales.

In July this year, he hinted at allowing Tesla's Indian fans to drive an electric Model 3 "hopefully soon". His Friday's tweet gives a more definitive timeline of Tesla's possible India entry.

This comes at a time when India is ramping up charging infrastructure for electric vehicles with an aim to significantly increase the proportion of electric vehicles on the roads.