KATHMANDU: Tesla has officially stepped into the Indian market by opening its first showroom in Mumbai. The dealership was inaugurated in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Initially, Tesla will offer the Model Y in two variants: Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) and Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive (LR RWD). The base model is priced at 5.989 million Indian rupees, while the long-range variant comes in at 6.789 million Indian rupees (ex-showroom).
The standard Model Y offers a range of 500 km, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 201 km/h. The long-range version extends the range to 622 km (WLTP), achieves 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, and retains the same top speed.
Tesla also plans to introduce its Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in India at a later stage. Customers will have the option to purchase this upgrade at an additional cost.
Prices are considerably higher than in other global markets due to steep import duties. The Model Y will be imported from China as a Completely Built Unit (CBU), attracting a 70% tax on vehicles priced under $40,000.
Deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter of this year. With this move, Tesla aims to tap into India’s premium EV segment, which currently makes up just 4% of the country’s overall car market—the third largest in the world.
In India, Tesla will mainly compete with German luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, rather than mass-market EV makers such as Tata and Mahindra.
Facing slowing global sales and surplus capacity at its factories, Tesla has chosen to sell imported vehicles in India for now, despite the high tariffs. The company currently has no plans to manufacture EVs locally as per sources.
