Entrepreneur Anand Mahindra on Tuesday welcomed Tesla to the Indian market, where the US-based electric vehicle maker made its debut with the first showroom in Mumbai. A second outlet is already in the works for Delhi.
Mahindra and Tata, India's two homegrown brands, dominate the EV landscape in the country. Tesla will compete with Mercedes and BMW in the high-end segment.
"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," the Mahindra Group Chairperson wrote on X.
He also shared a 2017 exchange with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
"India commits to sell only electric cars by 2030. It is already the largest market for solar power," Musk said at the time.
To which Mahindra responded, "Time you got out here Elon. You don't want to leave that whole market to Mahindra do you?? The more the merrier--and greener..!"
"Good point," Musk said.
Tesla's first Indian showroom is located at Maker Maxity in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). The company has the Model Y as its first offering to the Indian auto enthusiasts, available in Long-Range Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) and All-Wheel Drive (AWD) variants. Deliveries are expected to begin in August.
The Model Y starts at Rs 59.89 lakh for the RWD version and Rs 67.89 lakh for the long-range variant. With this pricing, Tesla enters India's luxury EV segment, competing directly with premium offerings from German manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, rather than budget-friendly options from Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra.
While Tesla positions itself as a high-end player, several Indian EV models offer comparable range and performance at significantly lower prices.
The Tesla Model Y comes with 60 kWh and 75 kWh battery options, offering a range of 500 km and 622 km (WLTP) respectively. It has a single rear-wheel-drive motor producing 295 hp and 420 Nm of torque, goes from 0-100 kmph in 5.6 seconds, and is priced from Rs 59.89 lakh.
The Mahindra XEV 9e offers 59 kWh and 79 kWh battery options, with an ARAI-certified range of up to 659 km. It starts at Rs 21.90 lakh and delivers over 500 km in real-world conditions.
The Mahindra BE 6 also comes with 59 kWh and 79 kWh battery packs, offering 557-638 km of range. It uses a rear-wheel-drive setup and is priced from Rs 18.90 lakh.
