The American EV giant has been trying to enter the Indian market for a few years now but the deal always fell off due to some reason
Tesla has finally started hiring staff for its showrooms in Mumbai, India. In the last couple of years, Elon Musk has been vocal about his interest in the burgeoning Indian market. However, he was evidently frustrated with the exorbitant import taxes on luxury cars by the Indian government. He felt that the high final prices of its EVs will make it difficult for people to consider Tesla EVs. Also, the business could struggle to gain a solid footing and a mass-market appeal if the prices are too high. However, it looks like that is about to change.
Tesla Starts Hiring for Showrooms in Mumbai and Delhi
The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, recently visited the U.S. to meet the new President Donald Trump. During this official visit, he even met with Elon Musk. It looks like this meeting triggered this latest step by Tesla. If you visit the Tesla website or come across its LinkedIn page, there have been 13 job openings listed for its Mumbai showroom. These roles are – Inside Sales Advisor, Customer Support Supervisor, Customer Support Specialist, Service Advisor, Order Operations Specialist, Service Manager, Tesla Advisor, Parts Advisor, Business Operations Analyst, Store manager and Service technician.
This is a clear indication that Elon Musk has reached some sort of common ground with the Indian government, as a result of which he is planning to commence Tesla’s India operations. Note that the recent EV policy from the government of India announced lowering the import duties from 110% to 70% on vehicles priced above $40,000 (around Rs 35 lakh) if the car company pledges an investment of $500 million (Rs 4,150 Crore) in India. Ideally, this is a decent sum to set up a local manufacturing facility which will boost the local economy, offer more employment opportunities for the locals, utilize local automobile components suppliers and ensure lower prices of the final cars for the consumers. Hence, it is a win-win situation for all stakeholders.
My View
This is a huge announcement from Tesla which, almost, confirms that it will start its operations in the country soon. Initially, the EVs will be brought in as full imports. However, as the manufacturing facility gets set up, at least, the entry-level models like the Model 3 and Model Y will be the prime candidates to be eligible for local production. Let us keep an eye out for more details in this case in times to come.
Also Read: Tesla Cybertruck v Rolls Royce Cullinan v Mercedes AMG G63 Drag Race
