Tesla’s Grand Entrance: Musk Unveils First India Store in Mumbai on July 15

Mon Jul 14 2025
Lucy Harlow (4152 articles)
Tesla’s Grand Entrance: Musk Unveils First India Store in Mumbai on July 15

Tesla is set to compete with its Chinese rival BYD and domestic giant Tata Motors in the Indian market. Even while Tesla has been eyeing the Indian market for a while, the company has also been requesting federal production and import subsidies.

Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company has revealed the opening of its inaugural showroom in India, located in Mumbai, set for July 15, through social media teasers and invitations to influencers and celebrities. The showroom is referred to as an experience center. The Tesla launch has generated anticipation and hype through exclusive invitations to select media editors and influencers, sightings of the Model Y on Indian roads, viral social media posts, and speculation about Elon Musk’s possible presence.

Sources indicated that following Mumbai, the company is expected to launch another showroom in Delhi later this month. Sources added that deliveries of cars to customers are expected to begin in August. Industry sources indicate that, alongside the Experience Center launch in Mumbai, the company may officially begin direct sales to Indian customers.

Media reports indicate that the Model Y, the world’s best-selling electric car, will be its first offering for Indian customers. Plans indicate that it is expected to be imported from China in completely built-up (CBU) form. The Tesla Model Y comes in two variants: rear-wheel drive (RWD) and long-range all-wheel drive (AWD). The starting price is anticipated to be approximately $56,000, excluding taxes and insurance, according to media reports. Reports of the car being spotted on roads suggest it will be the first product in the Indian market, with some sources naming the Model 3 alongside it.

Tesla has been attempting to enter the Indian market for a while, while also seeking incentives for manufacturing and imports from the central government. In June, India’s Minister for Heavy Industries, HD Kumaraswamy, confirmed that the global major is “not keen on manufacturing in India.” In a report last month, Bloomberg noted that five Model Y units were delivered to Mumbai from Tesla’s Shanghai factory. The cars were valued at $31,988, incurring import duties of approximately 70 percent. Tesla faces a significant hurdle in the Indian market due to a 70 per cent import duty on electric vehicles, while the ex-showroom price for similar models in the US is approximately $44,990.

Lucy Harlow

Lucy Harlow

Lucy Harlow is a senior Correspondent who has been reporting about Equities, Commodities, Currencies, Bonds etc across the globe for last 10 years. She reports from New York and tracks daily movement of various indices across the Globe