Tesla to sell Model Y cars in India, starting at $69,770
With delivery estimated to start from the third quarter, Tesla will drive on to India's busy roads, targeting a niche premium EV segment that accounts for just 4% of overall sales in the world's third-largest car market.
It will compete mainly with German luxury giants such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, rather than domestic mass-market EV players such as Tata Motors and Mahindra.
Tesla's Model Y rear-wheel drive will set back buyers 6 million rupees ($70,000), while its Model Y long-range rear-wheel drive costs 6.8 million.
That compares with a starting price from $44,990 in the United States, 263,500 yuan ($36,700) in China, and 45,970 euros ($53,700) in Germany. Grappling with excess capacity in global factories and declining sales, Tesla has adopted a strategy of selling imported vehicles in India, despite duties and levies running into roughly 70%.
On Tuesday, police guarded Tesla's first showroom in India as media crowded outside the office complex where it is located and the chief minister of the western state of Maharashtra, home to the Indian commercial capital, arrived for the launch.
Inside the showroom, clad in Tesla's signature minimalist neutral tones, the Model Y was draped under black and grey covers, partially visible through the glass.
Access was tightly regulated, with no sign of fans or onlookers nearby. Tesla's website showed the Model Y available for registration in Mumbai at an on-road price of 6.1 million rupees, with a booking deposit of 22,220 rupees.
The firm's Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability is on offer at an additional cost of 600,000 rupees, with future updates promised to enable operation with minimal driver intervention. While the current features require active driver supervision and are not fully autonomous, Tesla says the system will evolve through over-the-air software updates. ($1=86.0020 rupees) (1=7.1736 Chinese yuan renminbi) (1=0.8564 euros) ($1=85.8875 rupees)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Muscat Daily
4 hours ago
- Muscat Daily
Points return for Al Harthy and Team WRT at Rolex 6 Hours of Sao Paulo
Muscat – Oman's Ahmad al Harthy and his teammates – Valentino Rossi and Kelvin van der Linde – delivered a gritty and determined performance to secure a hard-earned top-10 finish at the Rolex 6 Hours of Sao Paulo on Sunday, as the FIA World Endurance Championship entered its second half. Contesting an uphill battle all weekend at Interlagos, the Team WRT trio and the squad maximised the performance available to them with the No.46 BMW M4 LMGT3 after overcoming a difficult qualifying on Saturday. 'I think it was a very strong race for us, we managed to make up so many positions throughout the six hours and to finish with a championship point makes all of the effort worth it,' said Al Harthy. 'We know we're not the most competitive car at the moment but hopefully things can change quickly for Austin. 'We executed a perfect race, I would say one of the best executed in terms of teams, so that's a very proud thing for us, and we all drove perfectly as well. Now we have a bit of time to analyse all of the data and hopefully have a more competitive car when we arrive at the Circuit of the Americas for the next round of the championship.' Al Harthy took the start of the race, but after maintaining position initially, he was elbowed down to 17th place. Battling back with strong focus, he was back inside the top 15 with less than 20 minutes of the race elapsed and close behind the sister BMW. Both WRT cars gained two spots each shortly after and Al Harthy then made his first pit-stop from 13th before the end of hour one. Van der Linde took over and when the action settled he was in 12th position, as the team's strategy began to unfold. Climbing through to fifth with one hour and 45 minutes completed, before the end of hour two OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, Oman LNG, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth and Experience Oman-supported Al Harthy returned to the driving seat. Holding sixth position initially, and driving well around the 4.3-kilometre counterclockwise Interlagos track, he concluded his second run nicely inside the top eight as the differing strategies of the teams played out. Van der Linde took over later in hour three with the car in 10th place when he emerged, and the South African reeled off a series of great passes. With three hours and 45 minutes in the book van der Linde had moved up into third and at the next stop Rossi climbed into the BMW for his first miles of the race. When the race order settled once more he held sixth place and after the team's fifth pit-stop, with just under 90 minutes to go, Rossi remained behind the wheel and emerged eighth in LMGT3. Climbing into the top six as the strategies again mixed the order, van der Linde returned to the No.46 car with just half an hour remaining and ultimately finished in 10th position. The FIA World Endurance Championship will now head to the United States of America for round six of the season, the Lone Star Le Mans at COTA in Austin, Texas, over the weekend of September 6-7.
Times of Oman
5 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Al Harthy's Team WRT battles to points finish in Sao Paulo
Muscat: Ahmad Al Harthy and Team WRT returned to the FIA World Endurance Championship points at Interlagos circuit in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo on Sunday, after delivering a determined and tactically sharp performance in the Rolex 6 Hours of Sao Paulo – round five of the 2025 season. Driving alongside team-mates Valentino Rossi and Kelvin van der Linde, Al Harthy's Team WRT overcame a tough start to the Brazilian weekend to finish 10th in the LMGT3 class, securing a valuable championship point and finishing as the top BMW entry in the race. The Omani, proudly backed by OQ Group, Sohar International, Omantel, Oman LNG, BMW Oman, Oman Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, and Experience Oman, said it was a result earned through sheer execution, teamwork, and perseverance. 'I think it was a very strong race for us,' said Al Harthy. 'We managed to make up so many positions throughout the six hours and to finish with a championship point makes all the effort worth it. We know we're not the most competitive car at the moment but hopefully things can change quickly for Austin.' From the outset, the iconic 4.3km Interlagos circuit posed a challenge. Qualifying didn't go to plan, with Al Harthy narrowly missing out on a top-10 Hyperpole spot by just two-tenths of a second – placing the No.46 BMW M4 LMGT3 14th on the grid. Taking the start of the race, Al Harthy was squeezed down to 17th in the opening laps. But showing typical composure and racecraft, the Muscat-born driver clawed back to 13th by the end of the first hour after a smooth stint and early pit stop. From there, South African ace van der Linde and nine-time MotoGP World Champion Rossi played vital roles in pushing the team forward, with clean overtakes and a well-executed multi-stop strategy. The car rose as high as third overall in LMGT3, before slotting into the top six during mid-race shuffles. In his second stint, Al Harthy again showed consistency and pace, climbing into the top eight. As strategies unfolded, the Omani handed the car over to Rossi, who maintained track position before van der Linde took the final stint and brought the car home in 10th. 'We executed a perfect race, one of the best in terms of team performance,' Al Harthy added. 'That's something we're very proud of – all three drivers were consistent, and the team's pit strategy was flawless. It shows that when everything clicks, we can fight among the best.' After a tough outing at Le Mans and a hard-fought return to the points in Brazil, Al Harthy and Team WRT now look ahead with optimism to round six of the championship – the Lone Star Le Mans at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on 6th–7th September. Following the race, Al Harthy remains 14th in the LMGT3 Drivers' Championship with 22 points. 'It's always an honour to represent Oman on this stage,' he said. 'We've had ups and downs, but the team is strong, and I believe we can continue building from here.' Rolex 6 Hours of Sao Paolo LMGT3 race result: 1 Jose Maria Lopez / Clemens Schmid / Petru Umbrarescu(Akkodis ASP Team / Lexus RC F), 2 Charlie Eastwood / Tom Van Rompuy / Rui Andrade (TF Sport / Corvette Z06), 3 Eduardo Barrichello / Valentin Hasse Clot / Anthony McIntosh (Racing Spirit of Leman / Aston Martin Vantage AMR), 10 Ahmad Al Harthy / Valentino Rossi / Kelvin van der Linde (Team WRT / BMW M4). 2025 FIA WEC LMGT3 Driver standings (after round five): 1 Riccardo Pera / Richard Lietz / Ryan Hardwick, 89pts, 2 Alessio Rovera / Francois Heriau / Simon Mann, 76pts, 3 Ben Keating / Daniel Juncadella / Jonny Edgar, 66pts, 14 Ahmad Al Harthy / Valentino Rossi / Kelvin van der Linde, 22pts.
Times of Oman
8 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Tesla begins its journey in India with Model Y launch starting at Rs60 lakhs
Mumbai: Tesla has officially entered the world's third-largest automobile market, India, with the launch of its electric Midsize SUV, the Tesla Model Y, priced from nearly Rs60 lakhs. Currently, the Model Y will be the only model available in the country. It will be offered in two variants; Rear-Wheel Drive, priced at INR 60 lakhs, and Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive, priced at IRs68 lakhs. Customers can also opt for Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) package, which adds an additional cost of Rs6 lakhs over the base prices. The Model Y will be available in six colour options, of which Stealth Grey is the only one offered at no additional charge. The other colours: Pearl White Multi-Coat, Diamond Black, Ultra Red, Quicksilver, and Glacier Blue, will come at an extra cost. Interior options include white and black themes, and the vehicle will feature a five-seat configuration. As of now, deliveries and registration are available only in Mumbai, Delhi, and Gurugram, as listed on Tesla's official portal. Pricing may vary depending on the state and applicable local taxes. Deliveries of the Tesla Model Y are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2025. Earlier today, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated Tesla's first Experience Centre in India, located at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai, marking a significant milestone for the company's entry into the Indian market. The minister said, "I welcome Tesla here in Mumbai. Tesla has opened an experience centre here, and it is a statement that Tesla has arrived and it's a statement they Tesla has arrived in the right city and right state." In April this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Elon Musk, discussing potential collaborations in technology and innovation. PM Modi had also met Musk earlier in February during his visit to the United States. With the opening of its first showroom in Mumbai, Tesla aims to test the Indian market and lay the groundwork for its premium electric vehicle offerings in one of the world's fastest-growing automotive sectors.
