Maruti Suzuki India chairman RC Bhargava took potshots at Elon Musk's Tesla and said he was not sure why the US-based automaker deserves special treatment and not any other carmaker that tries to enter the Indian market. During a conversation with Business Today TV spokesman Siddharth Zarabi at the BT MindRush event, Bhargava said: I am not sure why Tesla deserves special treatment and not any other carmaker who wants to come to India. Why not the cars that use bio-fuel? Bhargava is not the only one to question the special treatment accorded to Tesla. Mahendra Nath Pandey, the Union Minister, said Tesla is welcome to do business in India but the government won't compromise on Aatmanirbhar Bharat policy. Pandey said at an event last week that Tesla and Elon Musk are welcome in India but only according to the country's policies. Musk said last month that Tesla will not set up its manufacturing unit in India unless it is allowed to sell and service its cars in the country. Musk said in response to a question by a user, Tesla will not put a manufacturing plant in any location where we are not allowed to sell and service cars. Musk said in August last year that Tesla may have a manufacturing unit in India if it succeeds with imported vehicles in the country. India imposes 100 per cent import duty on fully imported cars with cost, insurance and freight value more than $40,000 and 60 per cent on those costing less than $40,000.
Bhargava was given the Business Icon-Corporate Visionary Award at the tenth edition of the BT MindRush event in the presence of Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India Today Group Aroon Purie and Union Minister Piyush Goyal.