Bhavish Aggarwal, founder and chief executive officer of Ola Electric and Ola Cabs, on Wednesday, August 21, mocked Tesla founder Elon Musk, stating that “Tesla is for the West and Ola is for the rest”. Speaking at Business Today’s BT India@100 Conclave in New Delhi, Aggarwal said billionaire Musk’s company makes products for the one billion rich people.
“Tesla is for the West, Ola is for the rest. The products that companies like Tesla, etc, will build are for the 1 billion rich people. The larger opportunity is to build for the global south, build for India, and then expand to the global south,” said Aggarwal, adding, “That’s what Ola Electric is doing with our products.”
The chief of the Indian electric two-wheeler manufacturer has also expressed his views on Musk and his ventures in areas where Ola has a presence. Aggarwal even suggested that Musk should try some new ventures.
“You know, I’m just being myself. I’m much younger than him, and he’s someone we all look up to. But honestly, I’m not sure why he’s venturing into the same businesses I’m in. Maybe he should try something new for a change. I started Krutrim before he launched his AI venture,” Aggarwal said at the conclave.
Bhavish Aggarwal also highlighted his company’s achievements, including launching the country’s first gigafactory. The eight-month-old Krutrim is focused on the opportunity to build on AI text technology in India.
“For too long in India, we have used global technologies without realising the implication of it,” said Aggarwal.
Aggarwal reiterated Ola’s vision for India and shed light on how Indians will shape the future. The founder also talked about how growth around the world is shaped by Indian youth and how India is poised to play a big role in the global agenda.
“For me, and Ola, our focus has always been on seizing this pivotal moment for India. We’re living in the most exciting time of our lives, where India is on the rise, and the future will be shaped by Indians,” he said.
“With 20 per cent of the world’s growth happening here and a significant portion of the global youth in India, our country is poised to increasingly set the global agenda,” Aggarwal observed.