Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik(best) with his brand-new Tesla
Maharashtra’s transportation dreams are racing ahead at bullet speed– from Nitin Gadkari showcasing hydrogen-fuel cell cars and trucks and flash-charging buses in Nagpur, to futuristic aerial pods and hyperloop assures that might diminish the Mumbai-Pune journey to simply 25 minutes.
The State’s newest heading thief is Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who has actually ended up being the very first Indian to purchase Tesla’s Model Y from the business’s new Mumbai display room– gifting the 62-lakh electrical SUV to his grand son for the school run, hoping it triggers motivation for green driving.
“As Minister of State for Transport I have actually gotten this honour to purchase the automobile of this significant brand name and I am gifting this automobile to my grand son who will go to his school in the cars and truck and other trainees will end up being conscious of eco-friendly transportation,” Sarnaik just recently informed press reporters. Sarnaik is with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena.
According to a Bloomberg report, high import tariffs are pressing the entry-level Tesla north of 60 lakh– well above the 22 lakh cost point where most EV sales occur. The brand name may stay out of reach for most of Indian purchasers, professionals state.
Green Transport
Sarnaik, however, insists his purchase has to do with motivation. He states those who can manage such cars and trucks will be motivated by his choice, while advising fellow MLAs, MPs, and ministers to follow his example and embrace environmentally friendly transportation. For those who can not, he guarantees a broadened fleet of electrical buses in the state transportation network.
The optics, nevertheless, might not be more contrasting– a minister’s grand son being chauffeured to school in a Tesla, while countless schoolchildren throughout Maharashtra still scramble daily in overcrowded, weak buses and hazardous personal transportation services. The high-end of electrical movement for the minister, makes the guarantee of ‘green transportation for all’ sound more aspirational than genuine.
Travelling problems
Commuters of Maharashtra state transportation (ST) face nearly daily, buses breaking down– especially on the Mumbai– Pune Expressway– and disappointed guests flood social networks with problems. One viral post revealed rainwater leaking inside a bus throughout monsoon, requiring commuters to protect the motorist and themselves with an umbrella.
“Broken seats, dirty buses, bad upkeep and scarcity of cars are the essential problems haunting public transportation,” states Vivek Waghmode, a routine ST commuter.
However, Sarnaik is unfazed. For him, the Tesla is not simply an individual extravagance however a symbolic action: “Not simply enhancing public transportation is going to assist,” he firmly insists. “I needed to lead by example by purchasing the brand-new vehicle, as together with travelling, safeguarding the environment is necessary.”
Released on September 9, 2025
