by | arvind jadhav
Mumbai : Tesla is set to mark its entry into the Indian market with the opening of its first showroom in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) on July 15. The electric vehicle giant has imported $1 million worth of cars and merchandise, including six Model Y units, to kick-start its operations in the country.
The Tesla Experience Centre will be situated in a 4,000 square feet retail space at Jio World Drive, near Apple’s flagship store in Mumbai. The first model expected to be launched is the Tesla Model Y, with prices likely to be over Rs 46 lakh due to high import duties. Tesla will pay around 70% import duty and other levies on its imported cars.
After Mumbai, Tesla is expected to establish its second Experience Centre in New Delhi’s Aerocity complex. Despite grappling with excess manufacturing capacity and falling sales globally, Tesla is optimistic about the Indian market. The company has been actively expanding its physical footprint in India, leasing multiple commercial properties, including a service centre in Kurla and offices in Pune and Bengaluru.
Tesla’s entry into India comes after years of dialogue with the Indian government, which has been keen to attract the electric vehicle giant to set up local manufacturing. However, Tesla has clarified that it is currently focused on retail and vehicle imports rather than local production. The company will adopt a direct-to-customer sales model in India, similar to its operations in other countries.
