Hyderabad: Punjab Congress Chief Navjot Singh Sidhu has invited Elon Musk, the chief executive officer of US-based electric vehicle company Tesla, to set up shop in Punjab. Touting the "Punjab Model", Sidhu claimed that under the model Ludhiana will be transformed into "a hub of Electric Vehicles & Battery industry."
Sidhu retweeted Musk's earlier tweet wherein the billionaire had hinted at friction with the Government of India being the reason behind Tesla's delay in entering Indian markets. Sidhu assured Musk of "time-bound single window clearance for investment" in the state.
"I invite @elonmusk, Punjab Model will create Ludhiana as a hub for Electric Vehicles & Battery industry with time-bound single window clearance for investment that brings new technology to Punjab, create green jobs, walking path of environment preservation & sustainable development," Sidhu's tweet read.
Tesla was to sell its electric cars in India last year and had sought a reduction in import duties on electric vehicles (EVs) in India. The heavy industries ministry had asked the electric car major to first start manufacturing its iconic electric vehicles in India before any tax concessions can be considered. The government sources had noted that they were not giving such concessions to any auto firm, and giving duty benefits to Tesla will not send a good signal to other companies that have invested billions of dollars in India.