Tesla Comes to India, Finally
The EV maker’s Model Y has arrived at a shiny new showroom in Mumbai’s BKC, but is the country ready for it?
It has finally happened. In a city known for its paradoxes, banking, luxury, and an aspirational skyline, Elon Musk’s prized spaceship-on-wheels brand has touched down in Mumbai.
The first Tesla showroom—sorry, Experience Centre—has rolled its doors open in Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The store’s roughly 4,000 square feet of minimalism and LED lighting, housed in Maker Maxity and parked somewhere around the Apple flagship store. It’s a symbolic moment for both Tesla and India’s electric vehicle future—though one that raises as many questions as it answers.
The arrival is carefully timed. Tesla is not at its peak. Global EV demand is cooling, particularly in China and Europe. Competition is stiffer, margins thinner, and investor expectations more tempered than they were five years ago.
But India—with its swelling middle class, growing climate consciousness, and voracious appetite for foreign brands—offers something that Tesla increasingly needs: potential.
However, it should be concerning to some that there’s no factory yet (although plans for it were announced initially). Only the Model Y – tucked neatly inside the showroom – sits in BKC. In the experience centre, that leased a 24,500 square foot service facility, the Model Y and Model 3 sit, fully imported from China. There is a steep import duty – nearly 70 percent – and prices start at Rs. 59 lakh (roughly $70,000 USD) for the Model Y RWD. Comparatively, the Model Y RWD is priced at roughly $46,000 USD in the United States.
Still, there’s movement.
Tesla India recently received a trade certificate from Mumbai’s Regional Transport Office, allowing it to conduct test drives and register cars. Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended the inauguration, making a pointed appeal for Tesla to consider research and manufacturing operations in the state. Whether that overture gains traction depends as much on policy as it does on Elon Musk’s notoriously mercurial business instincts. Earlier this year, India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal stated that the country would not bend its tariff structures to accommodate a single company—Tesla included.
It’s tempting to view this as a kind of mutual audition: Tesla is testing the Indian market, while India is seeing if Tesla plays fair.
Beneath the shiny showroom exterior lies a quiet but significant strategic play. India is not yet a major EV market. Infrastructure is limited, consumer adoption is slow, and the price point of most EVs, let alone Teslas, remains prohibitive. But it is also a country that tends to leapfrog. And Tesla, for all its bravado, has always been more about the long game than the short one.
The EV carmaker has also announced the installation of eight superchargers across metropolitan cities in the coming weeks.
About The Car
The Model Y on display is the brand’s global bestseller: a minimal, all-electric SUV with a 15.4-inch touchscreen, up to 574 kilometres of range, and (optional) self-driving capabilities. The car can also go from 0-100 km/h in under 5 seconds.
For now, customers will have to place orders either online or at the BKC showroom, with deliveries expected to begin later in 2025. The self-driving features, priced at an additional ₹6 lakh, are still under regulatory review and come with Tesla’s usual disclaimer: driver supervision required.
The Model Y being shown off is the updated one, with improved aerodynamics, redesigned lightbars, and a near-silent ride thanks to Tesla’s fancy new acoustic glass. Inside, you’ll find the signature minimalism: a giant 15.4-inch touchscreen floating on the dashboard, wireless charging, a black-and-white vegan leather interior, and a general absence of physical buttons. Think of it as an iPad with wheels—and a top speed of 217 km/h.
Either way, there’s no denying that this is a cultural moment. India finally has a Tesla showroom. The car is here, the buzz is real, and the self-driving features are still mostly imaginary in India. Let’s just wait and see how it all turns out.