Tesla Decides on Showroom Sites in Mumbai and Delhi

Nitin Konde, Varun Bhardwaj

20 Feb 2025 — 3 min read

Tesla Finalizes Showroom Locations in Mumbai and Delhi

Elon Musk-led electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is allegedly finalising two locations for its showrooms in Delhi and Mumbai, marking another milestone in the company's efforts to establish a foothold in India. According to sources cited by an international news agency, the company has decided on locations for its showrooms, which will span 5,000 square feet and be located in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex and Delhi's Aerocity. According to the report, these showrooms would only be used to sell the company's imported EVs; they would not be used as service centres. This comes after it was revealed in December of last year that Tesla was in negotiations with prominent real estate company DLF to look at potential locations for its showroom in India, including the Cyber Hub complex in Gurugram and DLF's Avenue Mall in Delhi.

Additionally, the development coincides with the company's eagerly awaited debut in the Indian market. Musk, the richest man in the world and the CEO of Tesla, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week while he was in the United States. During their conversation, Musk talked about topics that Modi is "passionate about, such as space, mobility, technology, and innovation," according to a post on X.

Tesla Announces New Hiring Plans in India

Tesla has taken a big step by starting its employment process in India in this short time frame and after Modi's visit to the US, where India and US President Donald Trump agreed on a trade deal roadmap. It would appear that Tesla is reaffirming its plan to enter India.

Tesla, which has long had a small presence in India, is currently hiring for 13 positions, both back-end and customer-facing ones. Following years of negotiations that experienced numerous setbacks due to tax exemptions and local manufacturing regulations, the news has rekindled rumours regarding Tesla's long-awaited debut into India. Musk has long criticised India's high import taxes, claiming that they are a significant obstacle to Tesla's growth there. At the moment of Tesla's action, US President Donald Trump is advocating for strict tariffs.

Picture Still Not Clear

Tesla's abrupt decision to begin hiring in India has raised the prospect of large investments coming to the nation, but is there more to this than what first appears? Whether Tesla will get the tax breaks it has long desired is still up in the air. Additionally, we are currently unaware of Tesla's plans to manufacture or assemble in India. However, the timing of Tesla's ambitions to hire people in India has sparked a lot of debate due to growing tariff concerns and Musk's tight relationship with Trump.

Now a significant Trump buddy, Elon Musk has a lot of influence within the government. Trump's election to a second term in office means that US trade policy will probably become more assertive. Although Tesla had previously backed out of its intentions for India, the country may now feel pressured to provide more favourable terms due to the shifting political climate. Tesla has been pursuing reduced import taxes for years prior to making significant investments in India. In the past, New Delhi has lowered electric vehicle import duties for businesses that made at least 41.5 billion rupees ($500 million) and set up local manufacturing within three years. However, Tesla faces growing competition in India's quickly changing EV industry.