PIONEER NEWS SERVICE
The electric car manufacturer Tesla has finally launched its first showroom in India with its maiden showroom having been inaugurated at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai by the Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Speculation has been running rife for some time over Tesla’s automobile plans in India. However, the Union Heavy Industries Minister, H D Kumaraswamy had already clarified that Tesla would not produce cars in India at the moment. “Tesla currently wants to sell its cars in India and apart from this, it has no other plans,” he had stated. Tesla has so far remained silent on its plans.
As per Tesla’s website, the Model Y electric car has the starting price of Rs 60 lakh in India. Importantly, the price of this Model Y car is lower in America and China.
Speculation started on the automobile giant’s market entry in India after it had started hiring employees. Tesla CEO Elon Musk had earlier expressed his desire to invest in India while noting that the high import tax in India was the biggest hurdle. Things eased after the Centre announced a new EV policy, offering many facilities and low import tax to global EV car manufacturers. Now it seems possible that Tesla may also enter the field of EV manufacturing in India in time to come.
Tesla’s second showroom in India is likely to open in New Delhi at the end of this month.
