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U.S. electric carmaker Tesla has signed a lease deal to open its first showroom in Mumbai, as it moves towards a goal to sell imported cars in India, registration papers show, after it dropped similar plans last year.
Tesla Hiring In India: Musk-led EV maker to open its first showroom in Mumbai’s BKC.
In a big development, Elon Musk’s Tesla has reportedly finalised the location for its first showroom in India. As per the registration papers, the electric carmaker has signed a lease deal to open its showroom in Mumbai, Reuters reported.
The showroom, reportedly company’s first in India, will be situated in the Maker Maxity building in the business and retail hub of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) near Mumbai airport, the report said.
Tesla Car Price: What Will Be The Price Of Tesla EV In India? Report Says…
The development came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Tesla CEO Elon Musk in the United States.
As per the papers, Tesla has signed a five-year lease from February 16, 2025 and will pay rent of about $446,000 (around Rs 38,872,030) for the first year for a 4,003 square feet (372 square meter) space, almost the size of a basketball court.
The rent would likely be increased by five percent every year reaching about $542,000 for the fifth year, according to the registered lease document provided to the news agency by analytics firm CRE Matrix.
Tesla in India: Showroom Locations & Opening Dates
The US-based company has selected locations for two showrooms in New Delhi (Aerocity) and Mumbai (Bandra Kurla Complex), according to the news agency.
US Eyes Zero Tariff On Imported Cars In India Ahead Of Tesla’s Entry: Report
Though opening dates for the outlets have not yet been decided, reports suggest Tesla might start its retail operations in India in April.
The US carmaker had been hunting for showroom space in India since late last year in order to start sales in the world’s third biggest auto market, after putting market entry plans on hold in 2022.
For years, the US-based EV maker faced hurdles related to localised factory investments, regulations, and high import taxes, factors which raised question marks over Tesla’s arrival in the country.
Why Trump Does Not Want Tesla To Enter India
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had said if Tesla were to set up a factory in India to bypass the country’s tariffs, it would be “unfair” to the US.
In an interview with Fox News, had called out India’s high tariffs on imported cars, which he had discussed with PM Modi during his visit to the US.
“Every country in the world takes advantage of us, and they do it with tariffs… It is impossible to sell a car, practically, in, as an example, India,” Trump had said.
Musk has long opposed India’s steep import tariffs— around 100% on electric vehicles— arguing that they protect domestic manufacturers like Tata Motors in the world’s third-largest auto market.
Tesla Opened Recruitments In India
Last month, Tesla opened recruitments for various roles in India (the ‘Mumbai Suburban’ area). The job roles included service advisor, parts advisor, service technician, service manager, sales & customer support, store manager, sales & customer support, business operations analyst, customer support supervisor, customer support specialist, delivery operations specialist, order operations specialist, inside sales advisor, and consumer engagement manager.
These job postings have been viewed as a signal of Tesla entering the Indian EV market.
