Elon Musk’s Tesla has opened its first official showroom in India and launched orders for the Model Y electric SUV. The showroom, located at Maker Maxity Mall in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, was inaugurated on July 15 to enter the Indian electric vehicle market.
The company also aims to venture into testing luxury‑EV demand by importing fully built Model Y units from Shanghai and selling through direct orders online. The Model Y starts at ₹59.89 lakh (about ₹60 lakh) for the rear‑wheel‑drive variant, while the long‑range version is priced at ₹67.89 lakh ex‑showroom.
Sales are set to begin with deliveries in the third quarter of 2025. The showroom opening was attended by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, who said, “In the future, we wish to see R&D and manufacturing done in India.”
The launch event saw Tesla’s senior regional director, Isabel Fan, present the CM with a brief on the company’s vision and key planned innovations for India.
High Duties
Tesla’s entry into India begins with imports due to import tariffs that can exceed 70–100%, which significantly pushes retail prices higher than in markets like the US or China. The base Model Y costs around $70,000 in India, nearly double its US price. The showroom serves both sales and brand‑building purposes ahead of any local production.
Alongside the showroom launch, Tesla confirmed plans to roll out V4 Supercharger stations in major cities. Four charging stations will be located in Delhi, featuring 16 Superchargers, as well as 16 kiosk-style “destination chargers” at malls.
The company expects to open a showroom in Delhi soon and is hiring locally while evaluating demand to determine whether to commit to manufacturing or R&D facilities in India.
Previous Signals
Tesla’s debut in India marks a carefully planned retail-first approach aimed at luxury buyers. Early indications, such as showroom attendance, bookings, and pricing, will likely shape plans for local assembly or manufacturing investments later.
The company also previously officially began hiring in India, signalling its intent to enter the Indian market in February this year. The company had posted job openings for 13 positions, which include customer-facing and back-end roles, as detailed on the company’s website and its official LinkedIn page.
This was followed by hirings in software engineering in Pune, with a role focused on front-end development. The role description involved working with a software team that concentrates on specific internal tools in Tesla, facilitating the process management of design, permitting, and installation of energy products and systems.
