Tesla, the US EV maker which was hesitant to enter India due to its heavy import duties, seems to have started recruiting in Delhi and Mumbai, hinting at its plan to enter the country.
The move seems significant after the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US where he met Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
There have been job postings on LinkedIn that reveal the company is looking for candidates for 13 positions for various departments including customer-facing, Operations such as Advisor, Order Operations Specialist, and Customer Support Specialist.
The move also follows the recent reduction in Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on luxury EV’s priced above USD 40,000 from 110 per cent to 70 per cent. This has made the Indian EV market more attractive for the company.
With these recent openings in India, the company seems to enter India with plans to import cars first to understand the market, interests, business, and government support before resorting to the local manufacturing of the product.
India’s EV sector is still small compared to China’s, where 11 million electric cars were sold last year. In contrast, India’s EV sales stood at nearly 100,000 units in the same period. Despite this, Tesla sees growth potential in India as the government promotes cleaner energy and provides incentives for EV adoption.
The company’s move also comes amid broader trade discussions. Following the Modi-Musk meeting, US President Donald Trump stated that India and the US were in talks to reduce trade imbalances and increase US military sales, including potential F-35 fighter jet deals.
