Amidst growing competition and global softening of EV demand, its India entry was due for a long time and that finally happened sometime back although yet again the approach was different.
Vinfast sold 137 cars versus Tesla's 109 during the festive months of September and October, as BYD maintained a strong lead with over 1,100 cars sold, according to Fada data.
The Model Y's blend of minimalist design, advanced technology, and practical features certainly makes a strong case. But the true test will lie in its performance on Indian roads and the timely expansion of its charging infrastructure, says Rajesh Karkera/Rediff.
In September, Tesla and VinFast accounted for less than 0.5 per cent of all EV registrations.
"I welcome Tesla here in Mumbai. Tesla has opened an experience centre here, and it is a statement that Tesla has arrived and it's a statement they Tesla has arrived in the right city and right state," Fadnavis said on the occasion.
Six months after its India debut, the Vietnamese automaker has overtaken established players such as Hyundai Motor, BMW, Kia, and Chinese EV major BYD.
The tariff removal will lower prices of Harley's large-displacement imported motorcycles, which retail between 14.5 lakh and 45.8 lakh but after the duty cut volumes are expected to remain modest.
Analysts believe Tesla will first focus on building the Model Y brand before expanding -- both in terms of volume and models.
The Indian automotive market offers around 1 million units annual volume opportunity at a price above $23,000.
With India's EV penetration at just 2.5 per cent, the market presents an opportunity -- provided Tesla gets its pricing right.
Tesla needs to either sell the same models with reduced features to lower the cost for Indian market, or incur losses.
Starting January, the market is expected to welcome models like the Tata Punch 2025 which is expected to be around 6 lakh, Mahindra BE 07 EV around 29 lakh, Maruti WagonR Electric around 8.5 lakh, Toyota 3-Row SUV around 14 lakh, and Volkswagen Tera to be around 8 lakh.
While Elon Musk's political influence continues to grow, his business empire is witnessing headwinds.
American electric carmaker Tesla has opened recruitment for various roles in India, including business operations analyst and customer support specialist, in what could be a precursor for the company's entry into the country. As per the job postings on the company's website, the posts are for the 'Mumbai Suburban' area.
The US carmaker's entry into India is expected by the last quarter of the current financial year.
Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc is yet to express interest in India's flagship scheme to attract global investment in electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, said Union Minister for Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy on Monday. In contrast, multiple global automobile giants -- such as Mercedes-Benz, koda Auto Volkswagen, Hyundai Motor, and Kia Motors -- are keen to participate, the minister noted.
VF 7 and VF 6, as the models are called, will go on sale in August after the inauguration of VinFast's plant in Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, and deliveries will follow later.
Trump bought the car in a show of support for Musk's electric vehicle company, which is facing a major backlash because of the Tesla CEO's work to advance the President's political agenda.
BMW Group India is unfazed by the prospect of Tesla entering the electric vehicle market here and feels it will help grow the segment, according to its Managing Director and CEO Vikram Pawah. The group, which sold a total of 1,249 units of electric cars in India across two brands -- BMW and MINI -- has already sold 646 units in the first quarter of 2025 and is keeping its forecast of 15 per cent of its total sales in India coming from EVs, Pawah told PTI in an interview.
it's the first all-wheel drive electric car.
'The battle for brain power among Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, Nvidia and Tesla and newer AI companies is fierce.' 'Given the race for AI with China, these companies will find it hard pressed to fill that talent gap,' notes an IT professional based in the US.
'The danger is that when the music stops, the fall will be sudden, faster, and deeper than anyone expects,' warns Debashis Basu.
Model X is Tesla's only SUV, & it can go from zero to 97 kmph in 2.9 seconds.
India is sceptical that Tesla might import into the country cars made in China. Tesla executives were in India last month and appear to have proposed a factory in the country. But do not be surprised if that does not happen in a hurry.
If Tesla comes in, India's position as a manufacturing hub will rise many notches, as it will become only the second country, after China, to have both Apple as well as Tesla.
Tesla's plan to manufacture its affordable electric car priced at $25,000 in India and Mexico could materialise sometime in 2025 or thereafter, with Elon Musk declaring that these models would be produced at its existing factories to utilise their full capacity before investing in new manufacturing lines. The company operates factories in Texas and Fremont in the US, Berlin in Germany, and Shanghai in China. By the end of the calendar year 2023, Tesla was manufacturing 1.8 million vehicles annually.
India may see its busiest EV festive season in 2025 with SUVs, luxury cars and scooters set to launch, but rare-earth supply bottlenecks risk delaying rollouts.
Tesla's Model 3 sedan, scheduled to roll out later this year, will be critical to founder Elon Musk's ambitions to transform his company from a niche car-maker into a mass-market manufacturer.
'Returning Indians can leverage their international skills and the strong funding environment for start-ups here.'
The BYD Sealion 7 offers instant, exhilarating power, effortlessly pinning you to your seat with a 0-100 km/h sprint in just 4.5 seconds -- a performance proudly showcased on its rear badging.
What will it take for Tesla to plug and play in India? Sector pundits say it's a mix of strategy, getting the price right, timing, the right talent, and above all, patience.
With only a handful of models by a few manufacturers including Tata Nexon, MG ZS, Hyundai Kona, among others, the segment has remained under tapped.
'It's important for India to think about areas where it wants the US to move.' 'We can be far more innovative in what we ask the US.' 'Given that there's a package deal, why not do it?'
'In the luxury car segment, the adoption of EVs is almost double compared to the mass market.'
The vehicle will not be available until end-2017, or later.
Tesla began taking orders for its Model 3 sedan from Indian customers in 2016 and caught the fancy of people like GOQii's Vishal Gondal, Paytm's Vijay Shekhar Sharma and venture capitalist Mahesh Murthy. Amid hints from Elon Musk, Alnoor Peermohamed reports on Tesla's Indian entry.
'If you align your ambition with India's rise, the peak of your careers will unfold alongside the peak of India's power.'
The share of EVs in the luxury segment rose from 7 per cent in January-May 2024 to 11 per cent during the same period in 2025, marking a 66 per cent growth in the electric luxury segment.
Swedish luxury car maker Volvo is planning to launch its fullly electric small SUV EX30 in India this year as part its plans of launching one electric model in the country every year in line with its global ambition of achieving 90-100 per cent sales from electrified cars by 2030, according to a senior company official. Besides, Volvo Car India is also looking at bringing the new XC60 SUV in India this year, its Managing Director Jyoti Malhotra told PTI.
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