K T Rama Rao’s invite to Elon Musk triggers storm

Hey Elon, I am the Industry & Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India Will be happy to partner Tesla in working through the challenges to set shop in India/Telangana.

Hyderabad: An innocuous tweet by Telangana IT and Industries Minister K T Rama Rao offering a helping hand to Tesla CEO Elon Musk in bringing the popular EV to India has triggered an Internet storm, with several persons including renowned journalists and actors hailing the move, while the saffron brigade, expectedly, tried to put Rama Rao down.

Hey Elon, I am the Industry & Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India

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Will be happy to partner Tesla in working through the challenges to set shop in India/Telangana

Our state is a champion in sustainability initiatives & a top notch business destination in India https://t.co/hVpMZyjEIr

— KTR (@KTRTRS) January 14, 2022

“Hey Elon, I am the Industry & Commerce Minister of Telangana state in India Will be happy to partner Tesla in working through the challenges to set shop in India/Telangana Our state is a champion in sustainability initiatives & a top notch business destination in India,” Rama Rao tweeted in response to Musk’s earlier tweet on “working through the challenges with the government” to bring Tesla to India.

Rama Rao has always been proactive and aggressive in wooing business investments to Telangana State, and the best example for his approach is the case of Kerala-based kidswear giant Kitex. The Minister sent an aircraft to fetch Kitex chairman and Managing director Sabu Jacob to Hyderabad, showcased the State’s investment potential and the business-friendly policies of the TRS government and had the Kerala investor commit to massive investments in the State in no time.

When other industry ministers are sleeping, he’s trying to turn a negative situation around in his favour! 🙂 https://t.co/6qHVsd2qAc

— Uddipana Goswami (@TheUrbanJourno) January 14, 2022

An innovative Twitter invite to @elonmusk from @KTRTRS after the Tesla head said he was facing “challenges” in dealing with the government.
Are we going to see a Tesla factory in Telangana?! https://t.co/3j5vg0rtmZ

— Vikram Chandra (@vikramchandra) January 15, 2022

 

“When other industry ministers are sleeping, he’s trying to turn a negative situation around in his favour!” tweeted author and writer Uddipanna Goswami, while well-known journalist Vikram Chandra (formerly NDTV) described it as an innovative Twitter invite to Musk. “Are we going to see a Tesla factory in Telangana?” Vikram Chandra wondered in his tweet.

Hyderabad has just pipped Bengaluru to post in #Tesla race.

Full marks to @KTRTRS to invite @elonmusk https://t.co/uF8SmBtd41

— Pankaj Pachauri (@PankajPachauri) January 15, 2022

“Hyderabad has just pipped Bengaluru to post in Tesla race. Full marks to KTR for invite to Elon Musk,” Pankaj Pachauri, Editor-in-Chief of Gonews tweeted.

Dear @elonmusk we would love to have @Tesla in Telangana ..as we have the best infrastructure and the leading business hub of India @KTRTRS https://t.co/MWa4L2sl2k

— Gopichandh Malineni (@megopichand) January 15, 2022

Film director Gopichand Malineni’s enthusiastic tweet read: “We would love to have Tesla in Telangana…as we have the best infrastructure and the leading business hub of India.”

Not all were appreciative of the Minister’s efforts with some of them pointing out that it was for the Centre to take a call on such matters, that it was against national interest. Others said Tesla was not interested in manufacturing its EVs in India and that it would only assemble China-made parts here.

The tone and tenor of these tweets suggested that initiatives taken by non-BJP governed States were frowned upon by them.

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