In a gesture of regret, Tesla CEO Elon Musk apologized for not being able to meet Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal during his visit to the Tesla manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. Musk expressed his honor at having the minister visit and eagerly anticipated a future meeting.

Minister Goyal's visit to the Tesla factory on Tuesday highlighted the significant role India plays in contributing to Tesla's success. The minister engaged with Indian engineers and financial professionals present at the state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. However, he missed the opportunity to meet Musk due to the CEO's illness.

Mr. Goyal shared his experience on Twitter, posting pictures of his visit and praising the talented Indian engineers and finance professionals working in senior positions at Tesla. He also expressed his pride in the growing importance of Indian auto component suppliers within Tesla's supply chain. Goyal mentioned that Tesla is set to double its components imports from India.

Musk responded to Goyal's tweet, stating, "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." While Musk missed the chance to meet the minister in person, he conveyed his appreciation for the visit and expressed a desire to meet in the future.

Reuters reported that Tesla is actively pursuing the establishment of a manufacturing facility in India with the aim of producing a $24,000 car within the country. The visit by Minister Goyal holds significance as there are reports suggesting that India may offer customs duty concessions to Tesla for setting up a plant.

In September, Goyal stated that Tesla plans to source around $1.9 billion worth of components from India this year, a significant increase from $1 billion in 2022. As early as August 2021, Musk had expressed interest in setting up a manufacturing unit in India, contingent upon the successful launch of imported vehicles. He had cited high import duties as a challenge for entering the Indian market.

While Musk's illness prevented their meeting at the Tesla factory, the exchange between the billionaire entrepreneur and the Commerce and Industry Minister underscores the growing relationship between Tesla and India. With talks of setting up a local manufacturing facility and increasing component imports, Tesla's journey in India is gaining momentum, promising new opportunities for the country's automotive industry and contributing to the transformation of mobility.