Athira Sethu
Kochi, 12 July 2025
Tesla is opening its first store in India on July 15 in Mumbai. The store, which has been named the Tesla Experience Centre, will be set up in Bandra Kurla Complex, one of the city’s leading business hubs. This is Tesla’s formal foray into the Indian market, which ranks as the world’s third-largest car market.
Before the official launch, Tesla imported electric vehicles and accessories totaling approximately $1 million. They include six copies of the highly sought-after Model Y. Five of them are regular versions that cost $32,500 each, while one is a long-range version that costs $46,000. Tesla also imported chargers and other machinery from the United States and China.
Although India imposes very high import duties of close to 70%, Tesla has opted to market imported cars for the time being. CEO Elon Musk has frequently complained about India’s high tariffs, stating that it complicates it for companies like Tesla to do business. But despite these grievances, the company has begun operations in India without establishing a domestic factory.
Elon Musk was scheduled to visit India last year and make an investment of up to $2 to $3 billion, including local manufacturing of electric vehicles. That trip was also last-minute cancelled. Currently, Tesla has informed the government of India that it won’t be manufacturing in the country.
Ahead of the launch, Tesla has already recruited a few individuals in India. It posted advertisements for around three dozen job positions and has employed individuals like store managers, sales executives, and service personnel. Tesla is also seeking to recruit engineers and drivers to aid its efforts in autonomous driving technology.
The Indian government has attempted for decades to lure Tesla and even created new policies that favor local electric vehicle manufacturing. Some international leaders, however, such as former US President Donald Trump, have called out the notion of Tesla opening up a factory in India solely to escape American tariffs.
In the meantime, Tesla’s plan for India is to sell imported vehicles and gauge reaction. Opening the Mumbai showroom will provide Indian consumers with their first up-close glimpse of Tesla’s electric cars.
