Anand Mahindra Welcomes Elon Musk's Tesla To India: 'Competition Drives Innovation'

Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group, has warmly welcomed Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. as the electric vehicle giant opened its first showroom in Mumbai. In a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mahindra hailed the move as a positive step for India’s fast-growing EV sector.

"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.

In a nostalgic nod to the past, Mahindra also shared a post from 2017, where he had publicly invited Musk to bring Tesla to India. At the time, India had just pledged to transition to electric cars by 2030.

“You don’t want to leave that whole market to Mahindra do you? The more the merrier and greener..!” Mahindra had tweeted. Musk had responded then with a simple yet telling: “Good point.”

Fast forward to 2025, and Tesla has finally made its way into the Indian market. However, despite the buzz, some features remain off-limits for now.

The company is currently charging an additional Rs 6 lakh for its full self-driving capability on the Model Y, but it is unlikely to activate the feature any time soon.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Tesla is still running back-end tests on its self-driving software to adopt it for India’s complex and often unpredictable road conditions. Indian traffic patterns, varied signage, and informal driving behaviours pose significant challenges for autonomous technology originally developed for Western road systems.

Moreover, regulatory uncertainty is also a concern. India still lacks a clear legal framework for autonomous vehicles. Despite a 2019 amendment to the Motor Vehicles Act, there has been no substantial progress in drafting legislation that supports the deployment of self-driving cars.

Tesla is reportedly waiting for a green signal from New Delhi before rolling out its FSD feature in India, which might require specific modifications to comply with potential local norms.

Even with these hurdles, Tesla's entry is seen as a landmark moment for India's EV space. Mahindra’s gracious welcome signals confidence and healthy competition in a sector that is poised for rapid innovation and growth.