Elon Musk’s decision to choose China over India for Tesla’s manufacturing operations has drawn criticism from Vivek Wadhwa, an Indian-American entrepreneur, and author. Wadhwa believes Musk is making a mistake by favoring China as he would have dominated the Indian market if he had established manufacturing there instead.
In an email exchange with Musk a few years ago, Wadhwa warned him about the risks of operating in China, urging him to consider moving manufacturing to India. However, Musk opted for China, where he has reportedly secured concessions for Tesla and made progress in rolling out advanced driver assistance technology.
Musk’s initial plan to visit India and meet with Prime Minister Modi was postponed due to unforeseen Tesla-related tasks. Despite the potential investment announcement that was anticipated during the visit, Musk’s subsequent visit to China and meeting with Premier Li Qiang have reportedly resulted in favorable outcomes for Tesla.
This move has drawn criticism from Wadhwa, who believes Musk would have been better off choosing India. According to Wadhwa, Musk will ultimately be the “biggest loser” by picking China over India.
