Tesla debuts in India with upscale showroom launch in Mumbai

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NEW DELHI (AP) — Tesla Inc. opened its first showroom in India on Tuesday, marking the electric vehicle maker’s long-anticipated debut in the world’s third-biggest automotive market.

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Located in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, an upscale business center in the financial capital Mumbai, the showroom will serve as Tesla’s flagship retail and experience outlet as the company introduces its EV lineup to Indian customers.

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Tesla’s entry to India comes after years of delays and policy friction, marking a pivotal expansion in a fast-growing consumer base while global sales are plunging and the company faces challenges in its two core markets, China and the U.S.

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Sales of Tesla electric cars fell sharply from April to June as boycotts over Elon Musk’s political views continued keeping buyers away.

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For India, Tesla’s entry signals rising investor confidence and strengthens its move towards clean mobility.

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The country’s nascent electric vehicle market made up a little more than 2% of total car sales last year. But the government wants to change that and increase the electric vehicle share to 30% by 2030.

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Tesla will begin by importing and selling its popular Y model cars in India. The base price would be 6.78 million rupees ($79,089) for the long-range, rear-wheel drive vehicle, according to a presentation by the company during the showroom launch Tuesday.

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By comparison, the price tag is around $44,990 in the U.S without a federal tax credit.

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The rear-wheel drive will sell for around 6 million rupees ($70,000) in India. Delivery is expected to start from the third quarter, Tesla officials said.

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Tesla’s higher pricing is likely to make its cars unaffordable for most Indians .

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Tesla will compete mostly with German luxury carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes Benz Group AG, and not budget Indian players like Tata Motors Ltd. and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. The luxury car market makes up just about 1% of total vehicle sales

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The debut by American EV giant, however, would bring in world class technology to the country, auto analyst Gaurav Vangaal said.

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“With deeper local investments, Tesla can accelerate India’s EV ecosystem, drive innovation and support the government’s goal of higher EV penetration,” said Vangaal, an associate director with S&P Global Mobility.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has wooed Tesla for years for its global brand value and to boost the country’s clean energy endeavors.

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CEO Elon Musk invited Indians in April 2016 to preorder the upcoming Tesla Model 3. Several customers placed an order but the cars never arrived and the booking amount had to be refunded.

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Despite his earlier enthusiasm, in 2019 Musk expressed concern in a post on his social media platform X that import taxes could double prices of Tesla cars, making them “unaffordable.”

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Tesla pressed Indian authorities to cut import taxes on EVs, which were up to 100%, to be able to test the local market. New Delhi, however, wanted Tesla to set up manufacturing facilities so a comprehensive policy could benefit all the players in the sector.