Tesla reportedly has set its sights on India, but this time not for a vehicle Gigafactory, but rather a battery storage factory in the country.
According to a report from Reuters citing anonymous sources, Tesla is considering building a factory to manufacture its Powerwall batteries. Several meetings have taken place in New Delhi, where Tesla’s team reportedly presented their plan to Indian officials. The proposal, however, appears to have encountered a few roadblocks, as calls for incentives to set up the battery storage factory have been met with initial resistance.
While there are no guarantees that this plan will materialize, it is evident that Tesla is determined to explore every avenue to make an entry into India. This move comes on the heels of Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s revelation that Tesla plans to source components worth up to $1.9 billion from Indian manufacturers this year.
Tesla’s commitment to entering India has been steadily gaining momentum after CEO Elon Musk’s met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this year. The meeting came after negotiations between Tesla and India came to a standstill due to concerns over import taxes and electric vehicle policies. Elon Musk voiced his concerns about India’s high import taxes, while India said it wanted Tesla to manufacture cars locally rather than importing them from China.
