Tesla opens first India showroom at Mumbai's BKC, cars to start at ₹59.89 lakh
Tesla will begin its stint in its 50th global market by importing and selling two versions of its popular Model Y electric cars, which were on display at the swanky new 4,500-square-metre showroom in Mumbai's financial district. Several car enthusiasts and curious onlookers got a glimpse of the shiny new cars—coloured Ultra Red and Pearl White—with a starting price of nearly ₹60 lakh.
The base price (excluding road tax and other fees) for the rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicle with a range of 500 km would be ₹59.89 lakh (~$69,650), while the long-range variant (622 km) would start from ₹67.89 lakh (~$78,950). Model Y is priced at $46,630 (~ ₹40 lakh) in the US, highlighting India's high import tariffs and shipping costs.
Despite the steep prices, Tesla officials said bookings for the cars have begun, and deliveries are expected to start from the December quarter for the RWD and the March quarter for the long-range variant. 'These cars can be purchased either through full payment or a vehicle loan with an interest rate of around 8.7%-11%. The actual interest rate is at the discretion of the bank,' said a Tesla official, requesting anonymity. The company plans to launch another showroom in Delhi soon.
The EV giant has upgraded the features of the two variants to suit Indian roads following two years of testing, officials said. However, Tesla's popular self-driving features will not be available in India for now, as the Indian government yet to formulate a regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles.
'The FSD (Full Self-Driving) will not be available. However, it will be there in the vehicle as a feature. It's a matter of government policy to allow full self-driving, and only then can it be incorporated. All that we will need to do is update the over-the-air software update,' said the Tesla official.
Tesla's FSD relies heavily on cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors and GPS, which are likely to struggle with India's chaotic roads, which have inconsistent lane markings and dividers, plenty of potholes and other obstacles like pedestrians and animals, not to mention an overall poor adherence to traffic rules.
However, Tesla officials said the cars have been tested for safety on city road conditions, have good suspension and have an active axle balance. Safety features in Model Y will include an advanced emergency brake system, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control, officials added.
Tesla is offering two different kinds of chargers in India. The first is the Supercharger, which will be available on the roads, while the wall connector can be installed at home. For 100% charging of Model Y, the wall connector will take about seven hours, while Superchargers will take about 15-20 minutes, officials said.
In the first quarter after deliveries begin, the wall connector charger will be provided free with the vehicle booking. The company plans to install 16 Superchargers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, in areas such as BKC, Lower Parel, Thane, and Navi Mumbai.
'Tesla also has the world's most reliable and robust charging network with 7,000-plus Supercharging stations and over 70,000 Superchargers, with more than 10,000 Superchargers added in 2024,' said Isabel Fan, Tesla's director for South East Asia.
Tesla is likely to manufacture the two variants in its China factory and import them to India. Its entry into the world's most populated country with a fast-growing consumer base comes at a time when global sales are plunging and the company is facing challenges in its two core markets, China and the US.
However, while the Model Y is the world's top-selling electric car, few Indians will be able to afford one. The country's EV penetration remains under 5%, and luxury cars make up just 1% of total vehicle sales. India is currently negotiating a trade deal with the US, including a potential reduction in tariffs on automobiles — something Tesla founder Elon Musk has been seeking for years.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who visited the new showroom on Tuesday, welcomed the entry of Tesla in India. 'This is not just the inauguration of an experience centre, but it is a statement that Tesla has arrived in the right city and the right state. Mumbai is not just the financial, commercial, and entertainment capital, but also the entrepreneurial capital. I experienced my first Tesla ride back in 2015 in the US, and knew then that India needed this. We are glad to see it finally here. Maharashtra has emerged as a strong EV hub with progressive EV policies, robust charging infrastructure and the most comprehensive support for electric mobility,' he said.
With inputs from agencies
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
7 minutes ago
- Hans India
With resilient overall Q1 growth, Indian economy 'steady as she goes' in FY26: Centre
New Delhi: The first quarter of FY26 presents a picture of resilient domestic supply and demand fundamentals and with inflation remaining within the target range and monsoon progress on track, the domestic economy enters the second quarter of FY26 on a relatively firm footing, Finance Ministry's 'Monthly Economic Review for June 2025' said on Monday, adding that the economy has the look and feel of "steady as she goes" as far as the current fiscal (FY26) is concerned. India's macroeconomic fundamentals have remained resilient. Aided by robust domestic demand, fiscal prudence and monetary support, India appears poised to continue as one of the fastest-growing major economies, "with various forecasters, including S&P, ICRA, and the RBI's Survey of Professional Forecasters, projecting GDP growth rates for FY26 in the range of 6.2 per cent and 6.5 per cent", the monthly document emphasised. India's financial markets have demonstrated notable resilience, primarily driven by strong domestic investor participation. This resilience is further underpinned by the robust health of the banking sector, as banks have strengthened their capital and liquidity buffers while improving their asset quality. "Reflecting these improvements, the GNPA ratio and the NNPA ratio of the scheduled commercial banks are at a multi-decade low of 2.3 per cent and 0.5 per cent, respectively, complemented with strong earnings," the report said. India's economic activity in Q1 FY26 was underpinned by strong domestic demand, robust services growth, and encouraging signs from manufacturing and agriculture. Agricultural activity received a significant lift from a favourable southwest monsoon, which arrived early and has so far delivered above-normal rainfall. Fertiliser availability and reservoir levels are more than adequate, suggesting a strong outlook for the kharif sowing and harvest and consequent rural income and demand. "The agriculture sector's steady performance continues to serve as a stabilising pillar for the broader economy and bolsters the rural outlook. According to NABARD's rural sentiment survey, over 74.7 per cent of rural households expect income growth in the coming year, the highest since the survey's inception," the Economic Review noted. It further stated that the Indian economy in mid-2025 presents a picture of cautious optimism. While geopolitical tensions have not elevated further, the global slowdown, particularly in the US (which shrank by 0.5 per cent in Q1 2025), could dampen further demand for Indian exports. Continued uncertainty on the US tariff front may weigh on India's trade performance in the coming quarters. Slow credit growth and private investment appetite may restrict acceleration in economic momentum, the report highlighted. "In the medium term, given the ongoing momentous shifts in global supply chains in the areas of semiconductor chips, rare earths and magnets, India has its task cut out," it added.
Hans India
7 minutes ago
- Hans India
Oppo's AI Vision: Smartphones as Empathetic Partners, Not Replacements
Oppo is redefining the future of smartphones by positioning artificial intelligence (AI) as a collaborative tool that amplifies human potential, not one that competes with it. The company is actively investing in AI to transform the smartphone into an intelligent, empathetic assistant that complements daily life through intuitive, useful features. At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025, Oppo introduced its enhanced AI strategy, with an ambitious goal to bring generative AI to 100 million users globally by the end of 2025. Peter Dohyung Lee, Head of Product Strategy at Oppo, emphasized India's importance in this vision. 'India is central to our goal of bringing GenAI to 100 million global users by 2025,' Lee told India Today Tech, highlighting the country's rapid AI adoption and tech-savvy consumer base. Since 2020, Oppo has been building its own large language models (LLMs), becoming the first smartphone brand to deploy a 7-billion-parameter LLM directly on a device. These efforts have led to the rollout of over 100 generative AI features across Oppo smartphones in 2024 alone. AI is deeply woven into Oppo's internal and product ecosystem. From features like HyperTone Image Engine for improved photography to intelligent battery optimization via SuperVOOC charging, AI enables a smarter, more personalized user experience. Internally, the company uses AI to enhance R&D, automate testing, and streamline development. 'Our goal is simple – AI for all,' said Lee. Oppo is democratizing AI by embedding it across all product tiers, not just premium devices. The recently launched Reno 14 series is a testament to this, integrating advanced tools such as AI Eraser 2.0, AI Best Face, and productivity boosters like AI Voice Scribe and AI Translate. Strategic collaborations with global tech leaders such as Google, Microsoft, MediaTek, and Qualcomm are helping Oppo push the boundaries of mobile AI. For instance, Google's Gemini is now integrated into Oppo's ecosystem, enabling users to perform complex tasks using natural language across apps. Microsoft's Azure AI brings improved transcription services and will soon allow PC users to control connected Oppo smartphones using Copilot. Oppo also stresses data privacy, investing heavily in encryption, firewalls, and on-device processing to ensure responsible AI implementation. 'AI means more data, but it also means more responsibility,' Lee remarked, underlining the brand's commitment to user trust. The Indian market, with over 690 million users, plays a critical role in this expansion. Lee observed that Indian consumers expect flagship-grade features even in mid-tier phones, which aligns with Oppo's mission to make GenAI features broadly accessible. 'The future is not about humans vs AI, but it's about humans and AI,' Lee concluded. As smartphones evolve into context-aware, real-time collaborators, Oppo envisions a future where AI enriches creativity, communication, and everyday convenience—always with empathy and user control at the forefront.
The Hindu
7 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Net FDI has fallen steeply, domestic investors gripped by 'fear': Congress slams government
, The Congress on Monday (July 28, 2025) claimed that the net foreign direct investment has fallen steeply while domestic investors are gripped by 'fear and uncertainty', as it asked the government to support incomes, end its 'crony capitalist and tax terrorism' policies, fix the GST, and protect Indian industries from Chinese dumping. The opposition party's assertion came after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's reported remarks that India's private sector investment has not kept pace with the growing public expenditure. Also Read: Why has net FDI inflow plummeted? In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, 'The Finance Minister has finally acknowledged what the INC had been saying for a long time: that private investment continues to be sluggish and is not growing at the pace desired and also expected.' 'This is even after the significant corporate tax cuts of September 2019, undertaken just before the Howdy Modi event that was held in Houston in support of President Trump's re-election,' Mr. Ramesh said. He further said that net FDI has fallen steeply while domestic investors are gripped by 'fear and uncertainty' – thanks in large measure to 'tax terrorism and policies that only favour a couple of business groups'. 'The growth of mass markets for consumption goods is being hampered by a decade-long stagnant wages crisis and a flawed GST, which awaits fundamental reform,' Mr. Ramesh argued. 'Finally, the 'dumping' of cheap imports from China – which is taking place despite the loss of Indian territory in Ladakh – has also led to the closure of domestic manufacturing units, foreclosing the possibility of new investments,' he said. 'Acknowledgment is the first step. Now comes the hard part – the government needs to take action to support incomes, put an end to its crony capitalist and tax terrorism policies, fix the GST, and protect our industries from Chinese dumping,' Mr. Ramesh said. The Congress has been attacking the government over its handling of the economy, claiming the issues of rising prices, decreasing private investment, and stagnating wages were hitting the common people hard.
