The first Tesla rolls out in India as company reports sales of 600-plus cars

MUmbai: Maharashtra send government minister Pratap Sarnaik on fri became the number one client in India to get the Model Y Tesla that he had booked less than two months ago, after the American electric vehicle (EV) maker opened its first showroom in Mumbai.Over 600 people in Mumbai and Delhi have booked a Tesla since the company launched in India on July 15, according to people aware of developments. While Maharashtra’s transport minister received his Model Y as a token first delivery on Friday, others who have purchased the luxury EV will have to wait until another week to start receiving their cars, Tesla officials said.While the rear-wheel drive (RWD) standard variant that Sarnaik bought, with a range of 500 km, starts at ₹59.89 lakh (excluding road tax and other fees), the long-range variant (range 622 km) starts from ₹67.89 lakh (~$78,950). In Mumbai, the on-road price of the standard variant is ₹61.07 lakh, while the long-range variant costs ₹69.15 lakh.Sarnaik, who denied receiving any discount from the automobile EV-maker said the car was a gift for his grandson. “I have also purchased this Tesla to spread awareness about electric mobility among citizens, especially the younger generation. I have asked other ministers too to purchase electric vehicles to promote sustainable transport,” he said.Both Model Y variants will be available in six colours. However, only one, Stealth Grey, is being offered at the base price. The other five colours—Pearl White, Diamond Black, Glacier Blue, Quick Silver and Ultra Red—will be available at an additional cost, ranging from ₹95,000 to ₹1.85 lakh. “Deliveries of all these six variants will begin soon,” said a Tesla official, requesting anonymity. “There are already 6-8 cars that have arrived. These right-hand drive Model Y cars are being manufactured in Shanghai and Berlin.”While Tesla’s launch in India in July was met with much fanfare, industry experts feel that 600 bookings in around two months is not a significant number. Automobile expert and the editor of Autocar India, Hormazd Sorabjee, said, “It’s nothing great.” A member of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, who requested anonymity, said, “The luxury segment in automobiles continues to boom. People have the money, and they want to flaunt it so sales of high-end cars have remained positive. In this case, bookings done for 600 Tesla cars is not exceptional if we compare it with other models in the luxury segment. However, it is not a bad start either.”Maharashtra is a leader in India’s passenger EV market, with an estimated market share of around 17%, according to Autocar. Of the 91,110 passenger EVs sold in India from January to July this year, Maharashtra accounted for 15,873 units. However, sales in the luxury segment in the first half of 2025 have been tepid at 22,900 units, which is only a 1.8% increase since last year.Sarnaik said that the Maharashtra government has already rolled out incentives to promote EVs, including toll exemptions on the Atal Setu and the Samruddhi Expressway, while the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has inducted nearly 5,000 e-buses into its fleet. The minister added that he is in talks with other manufacturers to expand the EV infrastructure. “Even if the cost is slightly higher today, what matters more is setting the right example and accelerating EV adoption,” he said.