India to hold EV import policy workshop in bid to attract Tesla, other EV makers: report

India is reportedly initiating a plan to encourage electric vehicle makers like Tesla to invest in the country. A report about the alleged initiative was shared in a recent report from The Economic Times.

As per the Times, the Indian government is organizing a workshop for companies that are interested in importing premium electric vehicles at lower import tariffs. India is reportedly looking to gather feedback from the participants of the workshop, likely as a way to better understand what investors wish for their operations in the country.

India launched a scheme to encourage the import and local production of electric vehicles last year. To attract investors, the country offered reduced import tariffs. At the time, reports suggested that India’s scheme was likely directed at companies like Tesla, which had openly admitted that it was considering a major investment in the country. The response to the scheme has proven lukewarm, however, and Tesla is yet to finalize an investment in India.

India, however, does not seem to be giving up its aspirations to secure a deal with companies like Tesla. Back in April 2024, a first stakeholder consultation on the scheme was held with several companies. In attendance were Tesla, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra, Hyundai, BMW, Kia, Volkswagen, Mercedes, Toyota, Renault-Nissan, and even VinFast, which joined the meeting through a video call. At the time, however, few companies showed any strong interest in participating in the scheme.

With the government’s reported plans to host a workshop later this month, it appears that India is not done in its attempts to secure major investments from EV makers just yet. As noted by the Times, feedback garnered during the upcoming workshop will likely be considered while framing the rules governing the country’s EV import scheme.

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