Gadkari woos Musk at Raisina summit; says making Teslas in India would be profitable

Nitin Gadkari, minister for road transport and highways, once again “requested” Elon Musk to make Tesla cars in India and export from here. While speaking at the Raisina Dialogue 2022 conference on Tuesday, Gadkari said, “If Elon Musk is ready to manufacture in India, we have all the competencies and technology. Our request to him is to manufacture in India. India is a huge market, we have ports here. He could make in India and export all over.”

“If Elon Musk wants to manufacture in China and sell Tesla cars in India, it cannot be a good proposition for India,” he added.

‘Tesla can reduce cost’

When asked about whether the government will reduce import duties on newer technologies and electric vehicles so that brands like Tesla can sell at competitive prices in India, the minister said, “We have all types of technology and because of that Musk can reduce the cost.”

Also read: What’s stopping Tesla from rolling out its cars on Indian roads?

While talking about electric vehicles, the minister highlighted that there is a huge uptake in electric buses. The demand for electric buses is claimed to have increased by up to 1300 per cent. “There’s a huge potential for all EVs in India. I have tried out electric cars from Mercedes, Toyota, Hyundai and other top brands which are working out of India,” he pointed out.

“It is a win-win situation for both (India and Tesla). We have all spare parts and there are many Indian brands doing a better job here. It will be easier to make Tesla cars in India and he can make good profits too,” added Gadkari.

Jaishankar says India clear on Ukraine

Meanwhile, speaking at Raisina Dialogue Townhall, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, India has a very clear position on the conflict in Ukraine which emphasizes an urgent cessation of fighting and a return to diplomacy and dialogue.

He acknowledged that the Ukraine conflict is the dominant issue in terms of principles and values as well as practical consequences, such as higher energy prices, food inflation, and various disruptions across Asia and Africa.

“There is really nobody who wants to see this conflict. There will be no winners out of this conflict,” he said. “Our position is that we all have to find some way of returning to diplomacy and dialogue. And to do that, the fighting must stop.”

He was responding to questions from Norway’s foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt, who said Russia’s aggression was an instance of an authoritarian state attacking a democracy and asked about India’s role in defending free societies, and Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn, who asked if Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov offered a justification for his country’s actions in Ukraine during a recent visit to New Delhi.

‘West should remember Afghanistan’

Jaishankar said the West should “remember what happened in Afghanistan less than a year ago, where an entire civil society was thrown under the bus by the world”.

Also read: India’s monthly Russia oil import less than what Europe buys in an afternoon: Jaishankar

“When the rules-based order was under challenge in Asia, the advice we got from Europe is do more trade. At least we’re not giving you that advice,” he said. “In terms of Afghanistan, please show me which part of the rules-based order justified what the world did there.”

The Raisina Dialogue, the flagship foreign policy and geoeconomics conference, will have over 100 sessions and over 210 speakers from 90 countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with president of EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen had inaugurated the Raisina Dialogue 2022 on August 25.