India Finance Minister not considering tax waivers for Tesla

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India’s finance ministry is not considering any duty waivers for US automaker Tesla Inc, Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra told Reuters on Thursday.

Last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was pushing the car maker to make a “significant investment” in the country, adding that such an announcement was expected soon.

In the past, talks between the US carmaker and the Indian government have involved seeking customs duty waivers for importing its electric vehicles, which was rejected by India.

“Any duty waiver for Tesla is not under active consideration of the Department of Revenue, as of now,” Malhotra said on Thursday.

(Reporting by Nikunj Ohri; Editing by Devika Syamnath)