'Next year for sure': Tesla CEO Elon Musk hints India debut in 2021

Dropping a major hint, Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk on Friday indicated that the US electric carmaker will make a foray into India in 2021. This development comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown a significant inclination in promoting the use and manufacture of electric vehicles.  

"Next year for sure," Musk said on Twitter in reply to a post with a photograph of a T-shirt with the message: "India wants Tesla".

"Thanks for waiting," Musk said.

India's auto sector, already reeling from a slowdown in demand last year, has been further hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic and carmakers are seeking government support to push sales.

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Tesla's record deliveries

Tesla has reportedly sold more than 1,70,000 vehicles in the first half of the year, while Musk and his investors have set a target of delivering 5,00,000 units by the end of 2020. Tesla has only two factories, one in the United States and the other in China, from where it delivers electric vehicles all over the world. The fewer factories pose a massive logistic challenge for the company as it can only deliver as much as it makes. 

Despite all the hurdles and with the COVID-19 pandemic, the car manufacturer reported its best-ever first quarter this year. The company delivered approximately 88,400 vehicles out of the 1,02,672 units that it produced. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the company had delivered a record 1,20,000 vehicles. 

Tesla has become a major hit among rich car owners who want to switch to electric vehicles with superior technology, without compromising on the looks. The company was launched in 2003 and since then it has become one of the best electric car sellers in the global market.

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