World’s most valued EV maker Tesla Motors is set to launch its first ever experience centre in Mumbai at the Bandra Kurla Complex on July 15 2025, according to invitations sent out to select outlets.
The BKC, Mumbai’s hub of major brands and commercial businesses, also houses THE WEEK’s city bureau.
Ahead of launch, the Elon Musk-led company has reportedly imported inventory and vehicles worth over $1 million to the country.
MORE | Tesla in India: Game-changer or just another luxury EV brand?
Back in February this year, Elon Musk met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington. Following the meeting, Tesla began hiring Tesla employees in India, starting with 13 job openings, including customer care posts and back-end roles on the EV maker’s LinkedIn page.
Positions for service technicians and advisory roles were then open in Mumbai and Delhi. Tesla also invited applications for customer management roles and delivery operations specialist posts in Mumbai, Bloomberg then reported.
And with the latest move by Tesla, it looks like they were for the BKC outlet.
However, it remains to be seen how India would approach imported EVs. When the Trump administration initially threatened retaliatory tariffs earlier in the year, India swiftly cut customs duty on high-end and luxury cars priced above around ₹35 lakh ($40,000) to 70 per cent from 125 per cent.
However, Musk would need significant cuts, given that Trump has already warned the world’s wealthiest man not to set up manufacturing for Tesla in India. Back then, India had pushed for a 15 per cent duty concession for Tesla in a bid to woo them to manufacture domestically. But negotiations stalled in the initial days themselves.
Moreover, idle inventory in their US factories would mean Tesla would have surplus EVs to import to India, further moving away from local manufacturing.
The cheapest variant of Tesla Model 3 is around $42,490, while its biggest hit, Model Y, starts at $44,990. That itself is in the ₹37 lakh to ₹40 lakh range, without tariff duties.
Tesla Cybertruck retails at a low of $69,990 while the Model S begins at $84,990. The Model X—the most expensive Tesla—costs from $89,990. These are all pre-tariff prices.
Auto enthusiasts and industry experts would be on the lookout on June 15 when Elon Musk is expected to also reveal India prices.