Tesla India launch has finally been confirmed by the US-based automaker. The first vehicle from the brand to launch in India is reportedly the Tesla Model Y. The Model Y starts at $44,490 in the United States. Here’s what to expect from the first Tesla vehicle in India.
First report of Tesla India launch surfaced in February this year and it was expected to take place in April but was delayed due to unknown reasons. However, according to Tesla India’s new official account on X, the automaker is coming to India later this month. Invites were reportedly sent to media for a July 15 event.
While it didn’t explicitly confirm the model that’s coming to India, multiple photos have surfaced on X showing a Tesla Model Y being unloaded at a showroom in Mumbai, which will also be the first location where a Tesla showroom in India will be inaugurated. The Model Y has likely been imported from Tesla’s China factory according to reports online.
It is expected that all Tesla vehicles sold in the country will be imported from the company’s manufacturing plants in Shanghai, China and Berlin, Germany for the foreseeable future.
Tesla has reportedly also explored a partnership with Reliance Industries in the past to establish a manufacturing unit for electric vehicles in India.
The report from February this year further stated that the company had also narrowed down locations in BKC in Mumbai and Aerocity in Delhi where it will set up its sales offices during the first phase.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the company will be giving prospective customers access to pricing, available variants, and trim options at its Mumbai showroom. Deliveries are expected to start from late August, and customers will be able to configure and order their Tesla EVs from next week, Bloomberg’s anonymous source said.
Furthermore, a second Tesla showroom is poised to open in late July in New Delhi, according to the report, backing the claims from the report that came earlier this year.
The Mumbai showroom will dedicate its first week to VIPs and business partners, while the general public will be allowed entry starting the following week, the Bloomberg report noted.
Tesla Model Y India Price (Expected)
Documents reviewed by Bloomberg News last month reveal that five Model Y units were declared at around ₹2.77 million ($32,270) each. Considering India’s 70% import duty on fully-built cars priced under $40,000—along with other surcharges—the final retail price is expected to be significantly higher than the roughly $46,630 (approx Rs 40,00,000) the Model Y costs in the US. In India, the Model Y could cost between Rs 60 lakhs and Rs 70 lakhs.
Tesla’s entry into the Indian market comes amid a global slowdown in its sales. The company will directly compete with some of the other local manufacturers in the Indian market, including Mahindra and Tata Motors, who already have a strong foothold in the EV space.