With Tesla heading to India in the months to come, there has been widespread discussion about the company will fare. The Indian arm of the American company has been registered as an unlisted private entity with a paid up capital of Rs 1 lakh and it would appear that it is scouting charging facilities in various locations including the Mumbai Port.
According to a regulatory filing, the firm has registered Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt Ltd with RoC Bangalore, with Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram and David Jon Feinstein being appointed as Directors.
When will Tesla launch in India?
While Elon Musk had assured in October 2020 that Tesla would be coming to India "Next year for sure" it remains unclear as to when it will officially enter the country's automobile market. More recently, about two weeks ago, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had narrowed this down somewhat, telling The Indian Express Idea Exchange programme that the company is set to start operations in India in "early 2021".
A recent ETAuto exclusive report adds that the company's Model 3 may become available for sale by the end of Q1FY22 - that is, by June 2021. Bookings, the report adds, are likely to start soon. Other reports estimate that the vehicle may even become available as early as March 2021.
What will be the price point?
While there have been no definitive report from the company about it's final India prices, many automobile websites have put forth expected prices. Both Cardekho and Zigwheels have reported that the Tesla Model 3 is expected to cost Rs. 60 lakh, while Model S is expected to be priced at Rs. 1.50 crore and Tesla Model X at Rs. 2.00 crore.
Will India get a Tesla factory or R&D set up? Where will this be?
Tesla's registration is recent development, and according to reports the company has not yet settled on a location. Reportedly, the company is scouting for land and remains in talks with multiple states. Earlier, the Maharashtra government had said it is looking for potential investment from Tesla in the state and held discussions with the company. However, reports suggest that this is not the only state in the fray - Tesla India is reportedly in talks with the Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh governments.
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