The Maharashtra government has proposed sites near Pune: Chakan and Chikhali, where Tesla already has an office
A day after electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla announced its hiring plans for India operations, CEO Elon Musk has started looking for land to set up an EV manufacturing plant in the country. The first point of consideration for the project can be Maharashtra, according to a report published by The Economic Times.
In Maharashtra, the state government has proposed two sites near Pune --- Chakan and Chikhali. The EV giant already has its office in Pune. In 2023, Tesla India Motor & Energy Pvt Ltd took the office space on lease for five years at Panchshil Business Park in Pune.
It is pertinent to note that nothing has been finalised or officially announced yet. The hiring plans came in the backdrop of Musk’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the United States last week.
Musk-led Tesla is seeking candidates for at least 13 job roles in Delhi and Mumbai, per the Company's Careers Page. The job roles range from Service Advisor and Parts Advisor to Tesla Advisor, Customer Support Supervisor and Delivery Operations Specialist.
The EV maker’s plan to enter the Indian market were put on hold since 2019 due to the high import taxes on electric vehicles. Earlier, India levied a 60% import tax on electric vehicles priced $40,000 or less, and 100% on those priced above $40,000.
In 2022, Musk had said that he wanted to launch cars in India but the country’s import duties on EVs are “highest in the world by far”. However, his India plan may take off as the government has now reduced the import tax on high-end cars priced above $40,000 from almost 110% to 70%.
Some media reports suggested that during the meeting, Musk had sought concessions and lower tariffs on imported EVs. The two leaders discussed space, mobility, technology and innovation last week. “I talked about India's efforts towards reform and furthering 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance',” Modi had said on X (formerly Twitter).
However, in front of US President Donald Trump, Modi called it a meeting in “family setting”. Notably, Musk’s role in the Trump administration has blurred the lines between his business and political interests.
Before India, Musk’s SpaceX also held discussions with Italy for a deal to provide secure telecommunications for the nation’s government.