With an initial plan to begin sales by April, Tesla has reportedly finalised store locations in Delhi and Mumbai. Recent job openings in India, soon after PM Modi’s meeting with Elon Musk, further add to the rumour.
American electric carmaker Tesla is set to enter the Indian market later this year, with plans to begin sales of imported electric vehicles (EVs) by April, according to a CNBC-TV18 report. The company is expected to offer more affordable EV models priced around US$25,000 (roughly ₹2.1 million).
Tesla is reportedly considering two key locations for its initial operations in the country: Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai and AeroCity, near New Delhi’s international airport. These sites are likely to see the company’s first showrooms in India.
This follows earlier reports from Reuters, which also identified these locations as Tesla’s preferred sites for its dealerships in Mumbai and New Delhi.
In addition to preparing for its sales launch, Tesla has recently posted job openings for 13 mid-level roles in India, such as store managers, customer relationship managers, and service technicians. These positions are based in the ‘Mumbai Suburban’ area and are part of the company’s efforts to build its operations in India.
Tesla’s plans come right after a meeting between the company’s founder, Elon Musk, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter’s recent visit to the United States. While Musk had initially planned a trip to India last April, it was postponed due to some Tesla-related engagement.
However, Musk’s previous comments about India’s high import duties on EVs had raised expectations that he might announce plans to move forward with selling Tesla cars in India.
Tesla has long advocated for a reduction in India’s high import duties, which range from 70 per cent to 100 per cent on completely built units (CBUs). These duties have made it difficult for foreign manufacturers like Tesla to enter the market.
In the past, Musk had stated that Tesla would not establish manufacturing operations in India unless it was first permitted to sell and service its vehicles in the country. He had also noted that the import duties were among the highest globally.
The Indian government has recently introduced an electric vehicle policy that offers import duty concessions for companies investing in manufacturing units within the country, with a minimum investment of US$500 million. This policy aims to attract global players such as Tesla to set up production facilities in India.
