It is a well known fact that Tesla is finally coming to India – Ahead of that details about their leadership team have leaked
Tesla’s arrival has been long-awaited. In the past 3-4 years, there have been multiple back and forth between the EV maker and the Indian authorities. However, now that Tesla will be commencing its operations in India soon, Tesla has also started building its Indian Leadership Team as well.
Globally, Tesla is known for its relatively unconventional way of hiring talent. Most OEMs prefer to hire/poach Senior Management from other established OEMs. However, Tesla has chosen a different path, majorly. Till date, confirmation regarding 11 Sr. Managers of Tesla India’s team is in public domain.
Indian Leadership Team
Tesla’s Indian Leadership Team currently comprises of Manuj Khurana, Samir Jain, Nishanth, Chitra Thomas, Prasanth Menon, Nitika Chabbra, Sandeep Pannu, Nithin George Thomas, Vaibhav Taneja, Venkat Sreeram and David Feinstein.
Prashanth Menon, Vaibhav Taneja and David Feinstein have been associated with Tesla in the past too as they were working with Tesla US. All other Sr. Managers are external hires for Tesla India. Other hires come from relatively diverse backgrounds and companies, including Reliance, Trilegal, Ather, Porsche, Volvo, BMW and even some start-ups.
Launch Plans
As of now, Tesla has started testing the Model 3 in India. The Model 3 happens to be an entry-level model in Tesla’s line-up, but could suit well to the Indian market conditions.
Tesla won’t be setting up its own manufacturing facility in India, at least not in the next few months. Instead, the global EV giant will be importing models as CBUs – Completely Built Units.
Due to the mode of import, the models will command a higher price tag, due to the higher import taxes and duties which are applicable as per Indian laws. Tesla currently has a Gigafactory in China, from where it is expected to source units for sale in India.
Expected Pricing
The Model 3 in India is expected to cost around INR 60 lakhs, once it gets launched. If Tesla commences its production in India, the price tag would fall down to around INR 30 lakhs. However, due to the expected sales numbers, it is safe to assume that Tesla won’t be setting up a plant in India, at least in the near future.
Future Plans
The Model 3 is sold in multiple variants across the globe. It remains to be seen which variant/variants will be offered for the Indian public. Post the launch of Model 3, Tesla is also expected to bring in other premium EVs from its global portfolio to the country.
