Mumbai: Tesla's arrival in India was a long time coming. The US-based electric vehicle manufacturer made its India debut on Tuesday with the introduction of Model Y and the brand's maiden experience centre in Mumbai. Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group, took to the social media platform X to congratulate Tesla and Elon Musk on the occasion while referring to an 8-year-old invitation.
"Welcome to India, @elonmusk and @Tesla. One of the world's largest EV opportunities just got more exciting. Competition drives innovation, and there's plenty of road ahead. Looking forward to seeing you at the charging station," Mahindra wrote on a congratulatory post on X.
Anand Mahindra shared the photo of his old conversation, dated May 2, 2017, with Elon Musk in today's message. The old post reflected Musk's interest in the Indian market. Musk said, "India commits to selling only electric cars by 2030. It is already the largest market for solar power..." Replying to this, Anand Mahindra said, "Time you got out here Elon. You don't want to leave the whole market to Mahindra do you?? The more the merrier -- and greener..!"
Tesla, which has shown keenness towards the Indian market over the years, had a delayed entry due to several factors. At launch, the company confirmed the cars will be imported from the Gigafactory in Shanghai, and it has no immediate plans for local assembly.
The Model Y is introduced in two battery pack options, starting at an ex-showroom price of Rs 60 lakh. The deliveries will commence by the end of the year. Tesla will be setting up 16 superchargers across the country by the time deliveries begin. Tesla experience centres in Delhi NCR and Bengaluru are likely to be inaugurated soon.