Well, it finally happened: Tesla opened its first showroom in India, right in the business district of Mumbai called Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). Of course, the location was a given since a month ago I spotted the ongoing construction at the site:
The opening on July 15th was reserved for the press and selected VIPs… which I, of course, was not a part of. Tesla launched with only the Model Y but two variants: the regular rear-wheel drive and a Long Range rear-wheel drive. The showroom had two cars, one in red and one in white.
It was a drizzly, rainy day during the early hours of the launch. Luckily, I had a meeting in the area, and just as I was walking by, they unveiled a 3rd Model Y in Diamond Black just outside the showroom, and it had stopped raining by then.
The investing platform Groww had a great infographic showing the price in India vs. the rest of the world. Of course, taxes and tariffs have always been there, and the elevated price of the Tesla in India should not really come as a shock. Imagine buying a Porsche 911 or Ferrari and dealing with 125% import duties vs. the 70% on the Teslas.
Since I have a Kia EV6, which is priced around the same price as the Tesla Long Range rear-wheel drive version, people ask me which car I would choose today. It’s a very tough call because I love the looks of the EV6, and the performance is much better than the Tesla. But Tesla has such a great software stack, and all the technology in the car is mind-blowing. I REALLY want to see how FSD will work in areas like Kalbadevi.
Overall, I’m glad Tesla is here in India because more competition means more choices and better products for consumers.
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