Tesla Inc. is set to make its long-awaited debut in India by opening its first showroom in Mumbai as early as mid-July, followed by another in New Delhi, Bloomberg reported quoting sources familiar with the matter. The move signals the beginning of formal operations for the electric vehicle giant in the world’s third-largest automobile market.
The Elon Musk-led company has already shipped its first batch of vehicles, Model Y rear-wheel drive SUVs, from its factory in China, the report further said. The Model Y, currently the world’s best-selling electric vehicle, will mark Tesla’s entry into India’s competitive but rapidly growing EV market.
Documents reviewed by Bloomberg News also confirm that Tesla has imported Supercharger components, car accessories, merchandise and spare parts from the US, China and the Netherlands in preparation for the launch.
Tesla’s Indian entry comes after years of delays due to disagreements over import duties and demands for local manufacturing. The breakthrough followed a meeting between Elon Musk and PM Narendra Modi in the US in February this year.