BENGALURU, Nov 14 - Tesla Inc, the American electric car manufacturer, is aiming to increase the number of components it imports from India, according to Indian trade minister Piyush Goyal. On Tuesday, Goyal took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to reveal that Tesla plans to double its imports from India.

Goyal expressed his pride in the growing role of Indian auto component suppliers in Tesla's electric vehicle supply chain. He shared his observations after visiting Tesla's manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. However, Goyal wasn't able to meet with Tesla's CEO Elon Musk during his visit.

In September, Goyal announced that Tesla had set a goal of sourcing components worth between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion from India in 2023. This shows a significant increase from the $1 billion worth of components that Tesla purchased from India in the previous year.

Last week, it was reported by Reuters that discussions were expected to take place between Goyal and Musk regarding Tesla's plans to establish a manufacturing factory in India. The talks were said to cover various aspects such as producing a $24,000 car in India, procuring more components from the country, and creating a nationwide charging infrastructure.

India has been actively seeking to attract more investments from major automotive players, particularly in the electric vehicle sector. The country's government has introduced several incentives and initiatives to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles and boost the domestic manufacturing of EV components.

Tesla's potential plans to expand its collaboration with Indian suppliers align with India's vision of becoming a global manufacturing hub for electric vehicles. The increased component imports from India would not only contribute to Tesla's supply chain but also promote growth and job opportunities within the Indian automotive industry.

As the demand for electric vehicles continues to rise worldwide, Tesla's increased reliance on Indian suppliers highlights the confidence the company has in the quality and competitiveness of Indian auto component manufacturers.

Only time will tell how this expansion in Tesla's imports from India will impact the growth of the electric vehicle market in both countries.