Tesla is all set to open its first Experience Center in India on July 16 at the Jio World Drive, marking a significant milestone in the American EV manufacturer’s foray into the Indian market. The 4,000 sqft retail space that was leased by the brand in March is located close to the Apple flagship store. The launch of the new Experience Centre is a part of a broader strategic maneuver targeted towards expansion in India.
In recent months, the company has been able to establish multiple commercial properties, including a facility in Kurla West, Mumbai, that is expected to serve as a vehicle service centre. Tesla’s footprint will now extend to four key locations: an engineering hub in Pune, a registered office in Bengaluru, and an office near Bandra Kurla Complex.
Tesla has recently gone through a leadership change. Tesla India’s head, Prashanth Menon, stepped down in the last month after nearly a decade leading the company. Until a new leader is appointed, Tesla’s China-based team has been managing the Indian operations. While the company has been trying to establish its presence in India, its manufacturing plans are still unclear. Tesla only wants to open showrooms and sell imported cars manufactured elsewhere.
Tesla’s Plan Ahead
The Experience centre opening signals a renewed push into the Indian EV market, potentially laying down the groundwork for further developments despite going through regulatory and policy considerations around imports and localization requirements.
To support the influx of international manufacturers to India, a new EV incentive program was unveiled in March last year. The policy will slash the duty to 15% on any imported electric car that is priced at approximately $35,000. The condition raised by the government is that if an automaker invests at least 14.5 billion rupees, or about $500 million, to set up a local plant within three years. After fulfilling such conditions, manufacturers will be able to import about 8,000 cars yearly at the previously reduced rate.
While such incentives have been directed to bring in foreign manufacturers to produce in India, certain brands such as Tesla have sought different routes. Tesla has projected its plan to only sell imported vehicles in India through company-owned outlets. Other manufacturers, such as VinFast and other,s are already building a new factory in India even before the policy had kicked in.
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