Whether electric car maker Tesla comes to India or not, Union Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari is of the view that the car makers in the country can produce a better vehicle. His statement comes after Tesla chief executive Elon Musk had last month said that his company will not put a manufacturing plant in any location where we are not allowed first to sell and service cars.
Gadkari, speaking at an event after witnessing a vehicle crash test in Pune on Saturday, stated that the government was never in favour of any firm manufacturing its cars in China and selling here, adding that the Indian car makers are very much capable of manufacturing world’s best electric cars.
“We have all automobile brands here. It doesn’t matter if one or two of them are not here. We told a company that manufacturing in China and selling cars here won’t work (China mein banakar yahan bechoge, aisa nehin jamega). If you want to come here, you manufacture in India,” the union minister said.
He further exuded confidence that our vehicle manufacturers can make better vehicles than others. We have young talented designers and they are doing better.
Union minister Mahendra Nath Pandey echoed the same view on Saturday as he underscored that the government will not compromise in any way on the policy of Aatmanirbhar Bharat or self-reliant India.
“Tesla, Elon Musk are welcome to India but only according to the country’s policies,” he added.
Meanwhile, Gadkari, on Friday, had said that all electric cars (EVs) in India would cost the same as petrol automobiles within a year. “I am trying…within one year, the cost of electric vehicles will be equivalent to the cost of petrol vehicles in the country and we will save money spent on fossil fuels,” he said while addressing TV9 What India Think Today Global Summit.
Addressing The Global Summit by TV9 on Saturday, the Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises said, “The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi has moved ahead swiftly on the Aatmanirbhar Bharat policy and received a very good response on it and we are not going to compromise on that in any way.”
