Autocar India Editor Hormazd Sorabjee has said that while there is significant excitement around Tesla's India entry, the real test will be sales— whether they live up to the hype. Tesla officially opened its first showroom in India at Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex, debuting with its best-selling Model Y.
"There is an unprecedented frenzy around Tesla, largely due to Elon Musk. But we have to see whether the sales truly live up to the hype. They have launched the Model Y as a CBU, which was expected," Sorabjee told NDTV Profit.
"We didn't expect them to enter India with manufacturing plans initially, as it's not that simple. You need to first build a supplier ecosystem," he said.
Sorabjee highlighted that in India, the entry barriers are quite high when it comes to setting up full-fledged manufacturing. "So, it's a sensible decision to begin with a CBU," he added.
Calling Tesla the 'rockstar of the EV world,' Sorabjee noted that despite challenges, the brand will attract a lot of initial interest. According to him, Model Y is the right car for the Indian market.
However, he cautioned about the limitations of the market. "The pricing places Tesla in a niche segment. Affordability and EV adoption remain concerns in India. Sales volumes are still very small. Due to the brand buzz, Tesla might sell a bit more, but I estimate approximately 4,000 cars sales a year."
He pointed out that a potential game-changer for Tesla would be establishing its proprietary supercharging network. "That would give them a real advantage, but we have not heard any plans around that yet," he said.
Sorabjee also acknowledged Tesla's core strengths, including software, battery efficiency, and performance. "But it does have some weaknesses as well—fit and finish, for instance, aren't on par with other established luxury brands," he said.
"Right now, a lot is riding on the Tesla range. We will have to wait and see how the cars perform in the Indian market," he added.
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