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Indian CEO slams Tesla for returning $1,000 fee: 'Elon Musk, do you know...'
Tesla has informed Harsh Jain that it is finalizing its product lineup in India and has returned his $1,000 reservation fee for a Model 3, paid in 2017.
Harsh Jain, CEO of Dream11, took to Elon Musk’s social media platform X to voice his disappointment with the billionaire’s other company - Tesla. The Indian CEO said that in 2017, when Tesla was supposed to debut in India, he had paid $1,000 to reserve a Model 3.
Nearly a decade later, Tesla’s long-awaited debut in India has still not materialized, the least-expensive Model 3 has been discontinued, and Jain’s reservation fee has been returned to him.
The Dream11 CEO is not happy.
In a scathing post shared on X, Harsh Jain called out Elon Musk and Tesla for refunding his $1,000 reservation fee after eight years and taking away his priority slot. He shared a screenshot of the message he received from the electric carmaker informing him that the “original Model 3” of his reservation is one of the products that Tesla has replaced.
Dream11 CEO Harsh Jain slams Tesla
“Wow Elon Musk, do you know Tesla is turning ALL its fans and early believers in India into haters?” Jain asked in his X post.
“I had paid $1k for a priority slot in March 2017 for Tesla's India launch. Now that Tesla is FINALLY launching almost 10 YEARS later they're only going to refund me $1k and take away my priority slot?” he revealed.
The Dream11 CEO noted that if he had invested this $1,000 in Tesla shares back in 2017, they would have been worth upwards of $20,000 today.
“Even if I had just invested this $1k in Tesla in March 2017, it would be worth ~$20k now. Way to show fans that Tesla doesn’t care,” he wrote.
Tesla’s message to Harsh Jain
Tesla told Jain in what appears to be an email that it is in the process of finalizing its product offerings in India. The company also informed Jain that it would return the $1,000 fee he paid to reserve a Model 3 back in 2017.
Read the full text of the email below:
“Thank you for your support in Tesla and being an early reservation holder of the Model 3. As Tesla continues to grow, our product lineup continues to evolve. In the past few years, many of our products back at the time have been replaced, and many new products have been introduced. The original Model 3 in your reservation was one of the products that have been replaced.
“Model 3 in your reservation was one of the products that have been replaced.
“As such, we would like to return your reservation fee for the time being. When we finalize our product offerings in India, we will reach out in the market again. We hope to see you back with us once we are ready to launch and deliver in the country. Your patience and support are greatly appreciated, and Tesla won't be where we are today without early supporters like you.”
Tesla in India
Tesla, which has for years planned an India market entry, posted a number of mid-level jobs in India in February.
One June 3, news agency PTI reported that Tesla India has taken on lease a warehousing space in Mumbai at a starting monthly rent of ₹37.53 lakh.
Real estate data analytics firm CRE Matrix has reviewed the registration documents.
"Tesla's India entry is taking shape through a deliberate, multi-city rollout -- from its office in Pune to flagship showrooms in BKC and Delhi-NCR, co-working presence in BKC and now a strategic warehousing facility in Kurla-West Mumbai. This 24,565 sq ft lease at ₹153 per square feet is more than a real estate transactions -- its a signal of intent," CRE Matrix CEO Abhishek Kiran Gupta said.
