Indian states clamor for Tesla factory after Musk’s tweet

Indian states clamor for Tesla factory after Musk’s tweet

MUMBAI: Indian politicians are clamoring for Elon Musk’s attention on Twitter, chasing the coveted right to host a Tesla factory, after the billionaire said government “challenges” were delaying his electric car company’s local launch. Tesla’s hopes to sell its vehicles in one of the world’s biggest markets have been stalled by efforts to negotiate lower import duties, which can be as high as 100 percent. After being quizzed about a potential launch date last week, Musk tweeted that his California-based company was “still working through a lot of challenges with the government”, without giving further details.

The comments have since prompted ministers from several Indian states to respond on Twitter with public overtures to the world’s wealthiest man-himself a prolific user of the social media platform.

“Hey Elon, I am the Industry & Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India,” KT Rama Rao tweeted in response to Musk on Friday. “Our state is a champion in sustainability initiatives & a top notch business destination.”

Three other states put their own cases forward over the weekend. West Bengal’s minority affairs minister said his corner of the country boasted the best infrastructure and “vision”. In Mumbai the development minister touted his state’s “progressive” credentials. And