Tesla is set to open its first showroom in Mumbai, India next week, marking the U.S. electric carmaker’s official entry into the Indian market.
The Tesla Experience Center will be launched with a 90-minute event on July 15 at Maker Maxity Mall, located in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex, according to an event invite viewed by CNBC.
The showroom will feature Tesla electric vehicles, and the company is expected to start direct sales to Indian customers, signaling a long-awaited step into the Indian EV market.
Tesla has shown growing interest in India over the years and is now accelerating its launch plans.
In April 2024, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss cooperation in areas like technology, EV infrastructure, and innovation. Around the same time, Tesla’s CFO stated the company is being “very careful” about timing its entry into India.
Tesla currently has no manufacturing facilities in India, although the Indian government is eager for local production. For now, cars sold in India will be imported from Tesla’s Shanghai (China) and Berlin (Germany) plants.
As Tesla begins its journey in India, it faces tough competition from Chinese EV leader BYD and Indian automaker Tata Motors, both strong players in the electric vehicle space.
A major hurdle for Tesla is India’s high import duties on electric vehicles, currently around 70%. The Indian government has offered a lower 15% import tax if companies invest $500 million and build a local EV manufacturing plant.
However, in June, India’s Heavy Industries Minister HD Kumaraswamy told Reuters that Tesla is not interested in setting up a factory in India at this point.
Tesla has started hiring in Mumbai, with job postings on LinkedIn for roles like showroom advisors, vehicle security, Autopilot data collectors, and EV service technicians.
Additional job listings are visible for New Delhi, including roles like store managers. It is still unclear whether Tesla will also open a showroom in Delhi in the near future.