Electric car maker Tesla Inc is said to be in talks with Reliance Industries Ltd to set up an electric vehicle manufacturing unit in India.

Tesla is said to have committed USD 2 billion to its upcoming plans in India. The company has been looking at multiple locations, including Gujarat and Maharashtra, for setting up the plant.

Earlier, Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla said said in spaces session with Nicolai Tangen, CEO, Norges Bank Investment Management “India is now the most populous country in the world, based on population. India should have electric cars just like every other country has electric cars. It’s a natural progression to provide Tesla electric vehicles in India,” thereby confirming Tesla’s entry into India.

According to the reports, talks are at initial stages and have been ongoing for over a month. It is expected that the Indian conglomerate may play a significant hand in establishing the manufacturing facility and the allied ecosystem for Tesla in India.

In 2023, RIL, in partnership with Ashok Leyland, launched India’s first hydrogen internal combustion engine-powered heavy-duty truck. RIL also unveiled removable and swappable batteries for EVs last year.

Musk has been trying to venture into India for years as growing middle class seeks to spend their increasing wealth on new-energy vehicles.

This comes after the government last month cut down the import duties on EVs for foreign companies provided they invest at least 41.5 billion rupees and start producing vehicles domestically within three years. There’s also a cap on the number of EVs an overseas brand can import.

The move is aimed at spurring investment from global firms, which is viewed as key to accelerating India’s switch to greener cars.