Tesla, the famous manufacturer of electric vehicles led by Elon Musk, takes its first significant step on the Indian market by finalizing an agreement for an exhibition hall in the Bandra Kurla complex in Mumbai (BKC), the Times of India reported. This exhibition hall will cover an area of 4,000 square feet in a commercial tower, marking a strategic entry into India, an emerging market for electric vehicles.
The rental agreement for this space is set at around Rs 35 Lakh per month, one of the highest trade rents in the region.
After the Mumbai exhibition hall, Tesla plans to open a second exhibition hall in Delhi’s aerocity, demonstrating a targeted approach to the creation of a solid foot in the main urban centers of India. This expansion occurs shortly after Elon Musk’s notable meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the United States. The dialogue reported a potential alignment of interests between Tesla and India, promoting an environment conducive to the entry of Tesla.
However, everyone in India is not enthusiastic. Some redditors believe that the Tesla BKC exhibition hall will not be profitable due to the high rent. Recently, the only independent store in Zara in Mumbai had to descend the shutters in the Ismail heritage building to the Flora fountain in South Mumbai.
Reddit users also debate that Tesla will face fierce competition from Chinese electric vehicles. “Honestly, Tesla has no chance on the Indian market if the reduction in import rights from 110% to 15% also applies to Chinese electric vehicles. No chance, Tesla is in competition with what BYD or MG offer at the same price,” said a user.
Another challenge will be the Indian roads. “His autonomous mode will be hell on Indian roads,” said a user.
Recently, Tesla shared job offers have opened its doors to positions in customer support, operations and commercial support, mainly based in Mumbai and Delhi, on Linkedin. These developments closely follow Modi-Musk’s meeting, indicating Tesla’s commitment to strengthen a robust operational presence in India.
The company also plans to import vehicles from its Berlin facilities to India, initially targeting a price of less than $ 25,000. This strategic price aims to make Tesla vehicles more accessible on the Indian market, where the starting price of Tesla models in the United States is $ 35,000.
