A Smoother RIDE

Tesla recently posted 13 job openings on LinkedIn and has reportedly secured a site in Mumbai for its first showroom. Could India be the key to the automaker’s recovery?

- BY ASTHA ORIEL

THE WORLD’S third-largest auto market could offer a lifeline to Tesla. The US-based electric vehicle (EV) giant has seen a significant decline in sales across global markets. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, Tesla sold just under 7,517 vehicles in Europe in January—about half of what it sold during the same period last year.

Amid declining global sales and US President Donald Trump’s hints of a potential recession, Tesla finalising its first showroom in India could signal the company’s strategy to reverse its fortunes. The automaker recently posted 13 job openings on LinkedIn and has reportedly secured site in Mumbai for the showroom.

Could India be the key to Tesla’s recovery?

The first step towards cracking India’s EV market would be to get the pricing right. The domestic EV market is already a battleground in terms of pricing. Tata Motors currently leads India’s EV market with a 42.65% market share. JSW MG Motors, a joint venture between India’s JSW and Chinese company SAIC Motor, holds the second spot with 36.5%. Following them are Hyundai Motor India and Mahindra & Mahindra with 14.8% and 5.3% market shares, respectively, as of February 2025.