Tesla ramps up hiring in India to fast track market entry after Musk-Modi meet
globalchinaev
• 3 days ago
According to a report by Reuters on February 18, Tesla, led by Elon Musk, has started recruiting senior employees in India.
This move marks progress in Tesla's plan to enter the world's third-largest automotive market.
Source: Reuters
The recruitment announcement came less than a week after Musk's meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington. Tesla has not yet responded to this development.
Tesla has been planning to enter the Indian market for several years and has even considered setting up a manufacturing plant locally.
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Around 2022, the company hired several executives but paused its plans for India, leading to some executives leaving the company.
Currently, Tesla has posted 13 job openings on its website and LinkedIn, covering customer-facing and backend roles, with positions based in Mumbai and New Delhi.
At least five positions are open for both Mumbai and New Delhi, while the remaining positions are limited to Mumbai.
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Among the positions, there is a "Store Manager" role responsible for overseeing and driving sales at the location. Tesla is also seeking delivery operations and customer support specialists.
It is worth noting that Musk has long criticized India's high import duties of around 100% on electric vehicles, and Tesla has repeatedly lobbied to relax these tariffs.
However, this move faced opposition from local automakers, who believe that Tesla's entry could impact their electric vehicle plans.
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Despite India's large population, the electric vehicle market is still in its early stages, with only around 100,000 electric vehicles sold last year, compared to China's 11 million. Tesla is evidently targeting India's future growth potential with this move.
Notably, the Indian government recently lowered the import duty on luxury cars priced over USD 40,000 from 125% to 70%, paving the way for Tesla's entry into the Indian market.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the basic customs duties on lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles in India have been completely scrapped.