Elon Musk's Tesla may begin EV sales in India by April, prices likely to start at ₹21 lakh: Report
Tesla in India: Elon Musk is reportedly looking to launch retail operations in India by April, focusing on imports from Berlin.
Tesla in India: Tesla CEO Elon Musk is likely to launch the company's retail operations in India by April this year, starting with imports from its Berlin plant, CNBC-TV18 reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Showroom locations have been identified in Mumbai’s BKC business district and Aerocity in New Delhi. The initial plan includes introducing an electric vehicle priced under $25,000 (around ₹21 lakh) for the Indian market, the report said.
While Tesla has not yet committed to manufacturing its EVs in India, it plans to increase component sourcing from Indian OEM suppliers. According to CNBC-TV18, this sourcing is expected to cross $1 billion by 2025.
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Tesla selects locations for showrooms in Delhi, Mumbai
News agency Reuters reported that Tesla has selected locations for two showrooms in New Delhi and Mumbai, moving closer to its long-delayed plans to sell its electric cars in the country.
The US carmaker has been hunting for showroom space in India since late last year to start sales in the world's third-biggest auto market, after putting market entry plans on hold in 2022.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Elon Musk in the United States last week and discussed issues, including space, mobility and technology, the Reuters report claimed.
Tesla has selected space to lease in the Aerocity area near New Delhi's international airport for a showroom, said two people familiar with the discussions.
The Aerocity area boasts hotels, retail outlets and offices of global corporations.
In Mumbai, the carmaker has chosen space in the business and retail hub of Bandra Kurla Complex near the city's airport, the first person said. Both the Delhi and Mumbai showrooms will be around 5,000 square feet (464.52 square metres) in size, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed source.
Opening dates for the outlets have not yet been decided, but Tesla plans "to sell imported EVs in India ... these deals are for showrooms, not service centres," the first person said, adding that Tesla will operate the outlets.
The company also posted job ads this week for 13 mid-level roles in India, including some store and customer relationship managers.
Musk has long criticised India for having high import tariffs of around 100% on EVs. Tesla has repeatedly lobbied to relax them but has faced opposition from local automakers who think Tesla's entry could hit their EV plans.
US President Donald Trump last week called out India's high duty on cars, but agreed with Modi to work towards an early trade deal and resolve their standoff over tariffs.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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