Tamil Nadu minister invites Elon Musk to set up shop in state; 5th state to welcome Tesla

Tamil Nadu became the second southern state to invite Tesla Motors to set up shop after the industries minister invited Elon Musk to partner with the government in the renewable energy sector.

Minister Thangam Thenarasu in a tweet said Tamil Nadu accounts for 34 per cent share in total planned investments for electric vehicles and invited Elon Musk to partner with the state in renewable energy market.

Hi Mr. Elon @elonmusk
I'm from Tamil Nadu.Tamil Nadu accounts for 34% share in total planned investments for Electric Vehicles. Welcome to India's EV capital. Also Tamil Nadu is one of the top nine renewable energy markets in the world. #tnforpartnership pic.twitter.com/QEhJurYV5f — Thangam Thenarasu (@TThenarasu) January 17, 2022

Earlier, Telangana minister KT Rama Rao had invited Tesla CEO Elon Musk to set up shop in his state. KTR's response came a day after the billionaire said that Tesla Inc is "still working through a lot of challenges with the government" in India to launch its electric cars.

Now, Tamil Nadu government's investment pitch to Elon Musk. India Today's Siddharth Zarabi (@szarabi) weighs in on Tesla's future in India#Tesla #ElonMusk #TamilNadu
Watch #5iveLive with @ShivAroor pic.twitter.com/Pf0s2G3lJA — IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) January 17, 2022

Tussle for Tesla had reached a point where ministers from four states including Maharashtra, West Bengal, Punjab and Telangana invited Elon Musk to set up the company's base.

Last year, Tesla Motors had sought a reduction in import duties in order to release electric cars in India. In response, the heavy industries ministry in India had asked Tesla to first start manufacturing in India before any tax concessions could be considered.

READ | Telangana minister KT Rama Rao invites Tesla CEO Elon Musk to 'set shop' in state

ALSO READ | Punjab, Bengal and Maharashtra leaders ask Elon Musk to set up shop in their states