[Update] Tesla To Open Maiden India Showroom On July 15, Deliveries From Aug

Update | July 12, 02:25 AM

EV major Tesla is likely to begin the deliveries of its cars in India by late August.

Citing sources, Bloomberg reported that customers will be able to configure and order Tesla EVs from next week. The first week of the Mumbai showroom’s operations will focus on VIPs and business partners. The general public will be granted access in the following week. 

Meanwhile, the company is said to be preparing to launch its second showroom in the country in New Delhi in late July.

Original | July 11, 4:46 PM

The wait for Tesla to officially begin its India journey is coming to an end. The Elon Musk-led company will officially open its first India experience centre in Mumbai’s Banda Kurla Complex on July 15.

As per a report by Reuters, the EV giant has imported vehicles, chargers and accessories worth close to $1 Mn to the country from China and the US. The said vehicles include five of Tesla’s Model Y with a shipment value of $32.5K (INR 28 Lakh) and one long-range version worth $46K (INR 40 Lakh). 

The report added that the company has also imported several superchargers. The on-road prices of the vehicles are yet to be revealed by the company.

With this, Tesla’s entry will fructify over four-and-a-half years after the incorporation of its India entity, Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt Ltd. The journey so far has been bumpy. 

Since 2021, the company has seen multiple changes in its India plans. While it repeatedly complained about India’s high import duties, the company also mulled setting up a manufacturing unit in the country for a brief period.

The Indian government has cut import duties for international companies under the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI) if they agree to invest INR 4,150 Cr (about $500 Mn) to set up an EV manufacturing unit in the country. However, Tesla will not be a part of the scheme.

While the Musk-led company was reported to be scouting for plant locations in the country in the late part of 2024, the proposition of setting up the India plant irked US president Donald Trump. Subsequently, Tesla abandoned its Indian manufacturing plant. 

Last month, heavy industries minister HD Kumaraswamy said that Tesla is not interested in manufacturing in India. “We are not expecting to see interest from Tesla. They are only looking to start operations through showrooms and are not interested in manufacturing in India,” the minister said.

Notably, the launch of Tesla’s first store in the country’s financial capital is likely to be followed by the company opening another store in Delhi. However, the timelines for the second store’s launch is not clear yet. 

With the Mumbai store, Tesla is officially on the cusp of beginning its India operations. While it has been actively hiring in the country, along with setting up office spaces, the company will be jumping in the mushrooming Indian EV space without a country head at its helm. Its erstwhile India head Prashanth Menon stepped down from his role earlier in May after four years of service. The Indian operations are currently being overseen by Tesla’s China team.