Tesla Eyes Tata Motors’ Top Talent For Key Roles In India Expansion: Report

Tesla Eyes Tata Motors’ Top Talent For Key Roles In India Expansion: Report

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Elon Musk’s Tesla has started exploring land options in Maharashtra for the potential establishment of an EV manufacturing plant, reports stated

Elon Musk’s Tesla Starts India Hiring

Elon Musk’s Tesla has started exploring land options in Maharashtra for the potential establishment of an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant, with the state emerging as a key location, sources familiar with the matter told ET.

The move follows a meeting between Musk and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the US last week, where Musk reportedly pushed for concessions, including lower tariffs on imported EVs.

According to the Economic Times reports, Tesla’s interest in Maharashtra stems from its existing office in Pune, making the state a natural choice for expansion, especially since it has several suppliers based there. The Maharashtra government has reportedly offered potential sites near Chakan and Chikhali, both located close to Pune. Chakan, known for being one of the largest automotive and manufacturing hubs in India, houses major companies like Mercedes-Benz, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Volkswagen, and Bajaj Auto.

While discussions are ongoing, government officials have clarified that no decisions have been finalized. Tesla is said to be evaluating several factors, including the proximity of potential sites to a port. The Maharashtra government remains cautious, given its past experience of losing large-scale investments to other states, such as the Vedanta-Foxconn chip venture and the Tata-Airbus aircraft project.

With intense competition among states for the project, it remains possible that the plant could be established in another location. Tesla is yet to comment on the matter.

Following Musk’s meeting with Modi, Tesla posted 13 job openings on LinkedIn, signaling a stronger push to enter the Indian market. The roles, based in Mumbai and Delhi, include positions in vehicle service, sales, customer support, and operations.

Tesla is also reportedly reaching out to top executives at companies like Tata Motors, a leader in EV manufacturing in India. According to reports, Tesla executive Prashanth Menon is expected to play a key role in the company’s operations in India. Menon, who previously headed Tesla’s India market efforts, had been reassigned to a project in the Netherlands after the company’s plans in India slowed down in 2022. He has now returned to India.

Tesla’s interest in India has been ongoing for years. In 2021, the company had plans for a store and office in Mumbai’s Lower Parel, but those plans stalled as Tesla was unable to convince the Indian government to reduce import duties on its vehicles. Tesla had pushed for a reduction in taxes on fully assembled cars costing below $40,000, from 60% to 40%. The company had even agreed to build a factory in India, contingent on analyzing the market response to imported cars, but the government refused to lower the duties.

In 2023, several Tesla officials met with Modi and other government representatives to discuss local component sourcing. That year, Tesla leased office space in Pune for five years, and Musk had two meetings with the Prime Minister, further fueling speculation about the company’s intentions in India.

Later in 2023, the Indian government announced an updated EV policy offering duty concessions to companies willing to invest at least $500 million in India. However, Musk canceled a planned trip to India in April 2024, citing heavy Tesla obligations, and visited China instead. He had been expected to announce investment plans during the visit.

News business Tesla Eyes Tata Motors’ Top Talent For Key Roles In India Expansion: Report
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