Elon Musk Apologizes to Piyush Goyal for Missed Meeting at Tesla Factory: “It Was an Honor…”

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal recently visited Tesla’s manufacturing facility in Fremont, California, where he underscored India’s pivotal role in contributing to Tesla’s transformative journey. While engaging with Indian engineers and financial professionals, Goyal missed the opportunity to meet Elon Musk, who expressed his regret due to being unwell.

Goyal shared his enthusiasm on Twitter, stating, “Visited @Tesla’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Fremont, California. Extremely delighted to see talented Indian engineers and finance professionals working in senior positions and contributing to Tesla’s remarkable journey to transform mobility.” He also highlighted the growing significance of Indian auto component suppliers in Tesla’s EV supply chain, with plans to double component imports from India.

Expressing disappointment about missing Elon Musk’s presence, Goyal wished him a speedy recovery. Musk responded, “It was an honor to have you visit Tesla! My apologies for not being able to travel to California today, but I look forward to meeting at a future date.”

Reports suggest that Tesla is actively pursuing the establishment of a manufacturing facility in India, aiming to produce a $24,000 car locally. The visit gains significance amid discussions of potential customs duty concessions for Tesla in India. In September, Goyal mentioned that Tesla is looking to source components worth around USD 1.9 billion from India this year, compared to USD 1 billion in 2022.

Elon Musk had previously expressed interest in setting up a manufacturing unit in India, contingent on the success of imported vehicles in the country. He noted that while Tesla wanted to launch vehicles in India, the high import duties posed a significant challenge.