Before meeting Musk, PM said, investment is good but jobs should be created

New Delhi: Ahead of his meeting with Elon Musk, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said investment from across the world is welcome but it should create jobs for Indians.

“I want investment to come to India because in India it does not matter who invests the money, (but) the sweat put into the work should be of our own people. The product should have the essence of our soil, so that our youth Will get employment opportunities,” while responding to a question on the possible entry of Tesla and Starlink.

He also said that India is moving fast on EVs and sought investment from companies. “We have told the world that India is moving very fast on EVs. If you want to do manufacturing, you should come.” Modi had met Musk in the US last year and the PM recalled his visit to the Tesla factory in 2015.

When asked when Musk had told him when he met Modi in the US that he was a fan of the Indian PM, Modi said, “Look, the first thing to say that Elon Musk is a supporter of Modi is one thing. Basically, he is a supporter of India. I just went to see his factory in 2015 and I visited him in 2023. ) and met him again and now he is going to come to India.

Musk is expected to have another meeting with Modi in India later this month and discuss Tesla’s production strategy following the government’s decision to reduce import duty on electric cars to 15% for companies producing in India. There is widespread anticipation of the unveiling.

Outlining the growth in India’s EV sector, Modi pointed out how sales of electric vehicles are expected to grow from 2,000 in 2014-15 to 12 lakh in 2023-24. The PM said, “In 2023-24, not 2,000 units but 12 lakh units were sold. This means that such a large network of charging stations has been created. This has helped the environment and we have made policies regarding it.