Tesla to open first India 'Experience Centre' in Mumbai on July 15: Report

Electric vehicle maker Tesla will open its first showroom in India on July 15, marking its formal entry into the South Asian market, reported Reuters.

The showroom, described as an "experience center," will be located in Mumbai's Maker Maxity building in the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), a business and retail hub near the city’s airport.

Tesla had signed a lease deal for the 4,003-square-foot showroom as part of its India launch plans. The lease agreement, signed on February 16, 2025, is for five years, with annual rent starting at $446,000 (about Rs 3.87 crore) and increasing 5% each year, Reuters had reported, citing registered lease documents provided by analytics firm CRI Matrix.

By the fifth year, the rent will rise to about $542,000 (Rs 4.71 crore) annually.

Tesla has been ramping up hiring in India for roles such as business operations analysts and service technicians in major cities, fuelling speculation about potential local manufacturing.

However, Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy last month said Tesla is currently focused only on opening showrooms and has not shown interest in setting up manufacturing operations in India.

“Tesla... They are more (interested) only to start showrooms. They are not interested to (start) manufacturing in India,” Kumaraswamy told reporters while announcing new guidelines for the government’s electric vehicle manufacturing scheme.

An official familiar with the matter said that while a Tesla representative attended the first round of stakeholder discussions on the scheme, the company did not participate in subsequent meetings.

Tesla’s India plans have been stalled in the past due to steep import duties. India recently cut customs duties on high-end electric vehicles priced above $40,000 from 110% to 70%, a policy shift seen as potentially paving the way for Tesla’s market entry.

US President Donald Trump recently criticised the idea of Tesla manufacturing in India, saying, “If he (Musk) built the factory in India, that’s okay, but that’s unfair to us,” in an interview with Fox News.