Tesla loses its magic for loyalists in India – even as musk finally advanced

Tesla opened the doors in front of her The first showroom in India This week, among the first visitors, Fishal Jandal-the tesla and Elon Musk company that was previously preserved in the 3rd model in April 2016, just hours after reservations. But despite appearing on the first day, Gondal says he has no plans to buy Tesla now.

“I felt a little confusion,” said Gondal, founder and CEO of Goqii.

Over the best part of a decade of time, Gondal Hope Hope for Tesla appears in India. But his enthusiasm was tense when he had to chase the company to recover money in 2023 – sending multiple email messages only to obtain a $ 1,000 reservation fee.

“Trying to recover money was a problem,” he told Techcrunch. “The joke was, did we invested this money in Tesla IPO shares, we had earned more money.”

Gondal is among the first supporters of Tesla in India-a person who pre-booking a vehicle long before the presence of any guarantees. But after nine years, it seems that many of these first believers do not celebrate the launch and instead they think no To go with Tesla, at least in its first appearance.

These supporters did not get 3, as they paid the reservation fees for him shortly after the Musk promise to launch the car in the country. Others, such as Gondal, have waited and tried hard for years to recover money, while some got it in May, just two months before the official Tesla appeared.

“It is frustrated to see Tesla takes a long time. I mean that our government, operations and red carpet are difficult, but it is funny that even Starlink got approval in a shorter period,” said Varun Krishnan, who runs the Technology Blog Fonyna from Chennai, one of the supporters of Tesla in India.

Tesla did not invite these loyalists to visit her Mumbai showroom, and she did not offer them an update.

The 6000 square feet Tesla showroom is located in Maxity Mall, near the country’s first Apple store. However, Gondal said that the Tesla store was not like the Apple Store.

He said: “When Apple launched the showroom in the same place, the” Apple “, the Apple managed to create in exchange for the Tesla, which Tesla was able to create, there is a world of difference.”

Gondal went to the Tesla showroom at Audi E-Tron, which he bought in the previous year, after waiting for a long time for the 3 model.

“I felt that he was the coldest launch,” said Amit Bhawani, founder of the Tech Phonerdar blog, who also saved the 3 -year -old.

Ultimately, Bhawani got $ 1,000 after criticizing Tesla in A. video Issued on YouTube in 2020.

He said that the video received comments from dozens of people who also kept the 3 model in India and were waiting for money recovery.

“When I felt that the love of Tesla was entirely, Tesla had become a real hatred for Tesla,” he told Techcrunch.

“The least that Tesla can do is sending an email to all the people who kept the car earlier and said:” guys, we will have a special event for you. “These people really went out on their way, and although we let us say that it is not a large amount, he used to say that we support Tesla.”

Others, like Kawaljit Singh Bedi, said they did not regret the support of Tesla, although they got a recovery before the launch this year. However, they are also not looking to buy Tesla soon.

“After all these years, I waited, I am not in a hurry to buy it now and became the first to get it, because what is the point? I waited nine years? I can wait for nine years and six other months.”

Krishnan said: “Most of them who put in their early vote from their confidence feel disappointed, including, I know, so and Venjay (sheikhs Sharma from Bite M).” “People like Vishal or Vijay are taken with a lot of salad. So, if they buy something, there will be 100 people who walk with their word.”

Sharma, founder and head of the Indian giant PayTM company, chanted comments from the other first supporters, and told Techcrunch that he would not go with Tesla and preferably waiting for a larger group of cars.

“It may be too late,” he said. “There are many other options with a more suitable price mathematics for India.”

Aaron Bhatt, founder of the brand’s founder, said, said, Tesla Club IndiaWho also booked the 3 -year -old in 2016

“I paid something and waited enthusiastically for 10 years, then outside the blue color, they only tell you, we will cancel it and return, then what is happening – 10 years after I waited something, will we get preferential treatment?” question. “There is no zero connection regarding this. Therefore, eight out of 10 reservations feel frustrated.”

The club started with the fans of another Tesla and the student of the University of Delhi, Necheil Chaudhry, in 2019 as an informal group for people who care about the EV car maker. However, TECHRUNCH told the delay in the launch of Tesla in the country, the club has slowly changed from Tesla Awareness Club to EV and clean energy awareness.

There is no clarity on the after -sales network and the local charger

One of the concerns that many supporters suffer from early Tesla is the lack of clarity on how Tesla has prepared the country’s super network in the country and dealing with after -sales care. The company announced that it will construct eight charging stations, distributed evenly throughout Delhi and Mumbai, before the start of deliveries in the third quarter. However, it is unclear whether this will be enough to provide enough support for Tesla drivers in these two cities. In addition, there are no ads related to how Tesla plans to deal with a after -sales service for its cars in India.

“After I became older in nine years, I also became more wise in the process of buying my car. I am more worried about the practical things than just the Tesla Brand brand, which I loved 10 years ago,” said Krishnan of Fonyna.

“There is no real excitement to own the first car, knowing that there is also no supercar network,” said Bedi from Frammer AI.

The attention of political musk and even clash with Trump stops some Indian drivers

In recent months, her general Musk character It underwent a shift – From a businessman wearing multiple companies to a polarized political figure in the United States. This transformation Tesla shares and their business were affected Not only in America but also in the main international markets. India seems not an exception.

“After the entire elections and politics, and anything happens, I do not see Elon with the same colors that I used to.”

Konal Khattar, the investor who focuses on EV in India and founder of VC Advantedge Founders, chanted Krishnan’s feelings, saying that Tesla lost a “little brilliance” due to several factors-including Musk’s political involvement, his consensus with Trump, and public flows followed.

He said: “People are accustomed to thinking that Tesla save the world, it saves the climate, and this is no longer there.”

Khattar was invited to launch Tesla in Mumbai. Just like Gondal of Goqii and others, it is also described as “frightening” and “not like launching a typical vehicle.”

1 % stadium

Tesla launched the y in India, starting from $ 59.89,000 (about $ 68,000). Some compare the pricing of India with the Y model in the United States, which starts from $ 44,990 ($ 38.71,000). However, the car maker imports the car from China-instead of manufacturing it locally in the country-which is usually referred to as the industry as a completely built (CBU). This adds to the customs tariff that Tesla is to pay for some time, until it decides to create a local factory, and therefore, customers will have to pay a heavy price.

In India, the excellent part, which starts from 35,00,000 dollars (about 40,700 dollars) and up to 1,00,00,000 dollars (about 116,200 dollars), includes only 1 % of the total car sales in India, approximately 50,000 vehicles. However, in that 1 %, electric cars have approximately 10 % stake so far, for each Bonnet Gobta, the manager of the S& PLOBAL MOBILITY.

“With the arrival of Tesla, and if Tesla really begins to manufacture in India, and perhaps for two years on the line, there is no doubt that it will provide a strong issue for all these original manufacturers (original equipment manufacturers), including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, to make a car for our Indian customers for the first time.” “The problem is that India was unable to persuade these indigenous manufacturers that it could make a product that really focuses on India, and it will have enough sizes.”

In general, the sales of electric car in India accounted for only 2.5 % of the total market in 2024, for each counter -point. But it was “almost minimal” in 2016, when Tesla initially announced her entry. This was also why people showed a lot of attention in Tesla at the time.

“These days, everyone can get a beautiful, amazing and very powerful electric vehicle in India. So, Tesla is not something worth, except for 5-10 minutes, people must ask to take a look inside it,” said Bahwani from Phonerdar.

Tata Motors giant in India has controlled the country’s electric car market in recent years, although others – including MG Motor in China, which recently signed a joint project with the Indian JSW Group – have begun to get a ground.

The excellent part is still specialized in the country, although the increasing number of high -value individuals led to an increase of 66 percent on an annual basis in the distinguished EVS sales during the first five months of 2025, said by ABHIK MUHERJEE, auto research analyst and IOT, in contrast, Techcrunch.

BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Volvo, Select Models from Hyundai and Kia sit in the part that brought Tesla model Y to the country.

“The current price point in Tesla is unlikely to cause any trademarks that work within this price range,” said Mukherji.

However, Tesla’s appearance is likely to draw some customers’ interest in electric cars in the market as the two wheels dominate the EV area.

“People will put at least EVS in their own looks. Will Tesla sell a lot of cars? I don’t think that … Will Tesla increase the other EV brand sales? I think that,” Khattar of Advantedge said.

Tesla did not respond to the suspension requests.