After Telangana…: Maharashtra, Punjab send out invites to Musk

New Delhi: US billionaire Elon Musk's lament that his electric car company Tesla was "working through a lot of challenges" with the Indian government that have delayed plans to launch in the country have led to invitations from two more States. After Telangana's invitation earlier this week, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and a Maharashtra minister on Sunday offered Musk a place to set up Tesla's manufacturing plant in his state.

Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil, in a reply to Musk's tweet, said, "Maharashtra is one of the most progressive states in India. We will provide you all the necessary help from Maharashtra for you to get established in India." "We invite you to establish your manufacturing plant in Maharashtra," the Nationalist Congress Party leader added.

Earlier, Telangana minister KT Rama Rao had invited the Tesla Inc's chief executive to set shop in his State and said that his government will be "happy to partner Tesla in working through the challenges". Musk, in response to a tweet asking him about a potential India launch date, had not identified the "challenges" being worked on with the government.

Tesla had plans to begin selling imported cars in India last year and has been lobbying the government to lower import duties, which can be as high as 100 percent, on electric vehicles before it enters the market.