NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Tesla Inc has moved one step closer to launch in India later this year by registering a company in the country, a legal filing revealed Tuesday.
Tesla Motors India and Energy Private Limited was founded on January 8 with its registered office in the southern city of Bengaluru, a hub for several global technology companies.
The filing reveals that the Indian unit has three directors, including David Feinstein, who is currently a senior executive at Tesla, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Indian Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari told a local newspaper in December that the American electric car maker would start selling and then look at assembly and production.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has tweeted several times in recent years, including October 2020, about an upcoming trip to India.
The move comes as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting the production and use of electric vehicles to ease the country’s dependence on oil and reduce pollution.
But efforts were hampered by a lack of investment in production and infrastructure, such as charging stations.
To boost investment, India plans to provide $ 4.6 billion in incentives to companies setting up advanced battery manufacturing facilities, according to a government proposal from Reuters.
Reporting by Aditi Shah. Editing by Mark Potter