Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik (right) with his new Tesla
Maharashtra’s transport dreams are racing ahead at bullet speed — from Nitin Gadkari showcasing hydrogen-fuel cell cars and flash-charging buses in Nagpur, to futuristic aerial pods and hyperloop promises that could shrink the Mumbai-Pune journey to just 25 minutes.
But the State’s latest headline stealer is Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who has become the first Indian to buy Tesla’s Model Y from the company’s brand-new Mumbai showroom — gifting the ₹62-lakh electric SUV to his grandson for the school run, hoping it sparks inspiration for green driving.
“As Minister of State for Transport I have received this honour to buy the car of this major brand and I am gifting this car to my grandson who will go to his school in the car and other students will become aware of environment-friendly transport,” Sarnaik recently told reporters. Sarnaik is with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena.
According to a Bloomberg report, high import tariffs are pushing the entry-level Tesla north of ₹60 lakh — well above the ₹22 lakh price point where most EV sales happen. The brand might remain out of reach for the majority of Indian buyers, experts say.
Green TransportSarnaik, though, insists his purchase is about inspiration. He says those who can afford such cars will be encouraged by his decision, while urging fellow MLAs, MPs, and ministers to follow his example and adopt eco-friendly transport. For those who cannot, he promises an expanded fleet of electric buses in the state transport network.
The optics, however, could not be more contrasting — a minister’s grandson being chauffeured to school in a Tesla, while thousands of schoolchildren across Maharashtra still jostle daily in overcrowded, rickety buses and unsafe private transport services. The luxury of electric mobility for the minister, makes the promise of ‘green transport for all’ sound more aspirational than real.
Commuting woesCommuters of Maharashtra state transport (ST) face almost daily, buses breaking down — particularly on the Mumbai–Pune Expressway — and frustrated passengers flood social media with complaints. One viral post showed rainwater dripping inside a bus during monsoon, forcing commuters to shield the driver and themselves with an umbrella.
“Broken seats, unclean buses, poor maintenance and shortage of vehicles are the key issues haunting public transport,” says Vivek Waghmode, a regular ST commuter.
Even so, Sarnaik is unfazed. For him, the Tesla is not just a personal indulgence but a symbolic step: “Not just improving public transport is going to help,” he insists. “I had to lead by example by buying the new car, as along with commuting, protecting the environment is important.”
Published on September 9, 2025