Tesla EV plans spur 'Musk pilgrimages' from India and Southeast Asia

Geopolitics and growing rivals cause automaker to weigh presence outside China

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A Tesla Model Y at a December 2022 event in Bangkok. Tesla lags behind BYD in electric-vehicle market share in Thailand. © Reuters

KENYA AKAMA, RYOSUKE HANADA and TAKAFUMI HOTTA, Nikkei staff writers

BANGKOK/MUMBAI/NEW YORK -- Indian and Southeast Asian leaders are appealing directly to Tesla CEO Elon Musk to invest in their countries as the electric-vehicle maker weighs options for curbing its dependence on the Chinese market.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Musk in New York last June, the month after officials from Tesla and the Indian government reportedly talked about the automaker potentially entering the country.

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