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American electric car manufacturer Tesla is set to enter India and is expected to start selling its EVs from April 2025. According to sources, Tesla will sell imported vehicles from its Berlin plant in India and plans to introduce affordable electric cars priced around $25,000 (approximately ₹21 lakh).
Sources suggest that Tesla plans to open its first showrooms in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Delhi’s Aerocity as part of its initial sales operations. The company has finalized locations for showrooms in New Delhi and Mumbai.
In Delhi, Tesla is leasing space in the Aerocity area near Indira Gandhi International Airport, while in Mumbai, the showroom will be set up in the BKC business and retail hub.
Tesla’s entry into India gained momentum after its founder, Elon Musk, recently met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Speculation about Tesla’s launch in India intensified following this meeting.
Last April, Elon Musk postponed his planned visit to India at the last moment, but the trip was expected to include major announcements regarding Tesla's entry into the Indian market.
The Indian government recently introduced a new electric vehicle (EV) policy, offering import duty concessions to companies that invest at least $500 million (approximately ₹4,150 crore) in setting up manufacturing units in India. This policy aims to attract global players like Tesla.
Tesla’s advisory group, The Asia Group (TAG), participated in a stakeholder meeting on the new EV policy, alongside representatives from Vietnam’s EV manufacturer VinFast and major Indian automakers, including Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata, Mahindra, Kia, Skoda-Volkswagen, Renault, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi.
In 2022, Elon Musk stated that Tesla would not establish production in India unless it was first allowed to sell and service its vehicles in the country. In 2021, he had tweeted that Tesla wanted to launch in India but was facing high import duties, which are among the highest in the world.
Currently, fully built-up (CBU) car imports in India attract customs duties ranging from 70% to 100%, depending on engine size and cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) value.
