NITI Aayog vice-chairman made the statement when asked about Tesla’s requests to slash import duties before the automaker enters the Indian market
Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari had expressed the same sentiments earlier during a conference panel discussing electric vehicles
Domestic automakers also support the government’s decision to not cut down on duty for imported vehicles
Just days after news broke of Tesla’s interest in a Musk-Modi meeting to discuss slashing import duties for cars, NITI Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar has joined the fray of government officials pushing Tesla to make cars in India instead of going the completely built unit (CBU) route.
During a conference by the Public Affairs Forum of India regarding transforming public policy for business growth, CNBC TV18 managing editor Shereen Bhan probed Kumar about whether the government will be acquiescing to the demands of companies like Tesla, who are asking for ‘a lower tax environment’.