Karnataka CM Confirms Tesla Will Build Production Facility In The State

Tesla formally entered the Indian domestic market last month when the company registered its R&D centre, its first entity, as 'Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited', in Bengaluru. And now, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa has released a statement confirming that the US-based automaker will open its first production facility in Karnataka. Further details are scarce and Tesla themselves haven’t made any official announcement yet though founder Elon Musk’s subtle tweets have all but confirmed it. Tesla has also revealed that they have appointed Venkatarangam Sreeram (Bengaluru-based start-up entrepreneur), Vaibhav Taneja (Chief Accounting Officer), and David Feinstein (Global Senior Director of Tesla) to head its operations in India.

Currently the most valuable automaker in the world, Tesla has been planning to enter the Indian market for a few years now, but until now there was no confirmation. It was in October of last year when Elon Musk first hinted about Tesla beginning operations in India in 2021. Till the manufacturing facility becomes operational, Tesla will be bringing its vehicles via the CBU route. The new factory will give a much-needed boost to Karnataka’s economy through new business opportunities and employment generation.

What makes buying a Tesla in international markets compared to its rivals is the vast charging infrastructure it has already set up, and they will most probably do the same in India. The first Tesla model should be launched by summer of this year, with the Model 3 likely to be the first offering. It is the entry-level model in Tesla’s portfolio and upon launch, is expected to priced around Rs 60 lakh, ex-showroom.

The Tesla Model 3 comes with features like 8 cameras, forward RADAR and 12 Ultrasonic Sensors, enabling active safety technologies including collision avoidance, and automatic emergency braking. The base variant can go up to 350 kms on a single range. It comes with a supercharging rate of 200km per hour, which cuts down to 50km per hour in a standard charging set up. The long-range version, on the other hand, has a 500km range and does triple-digit speeds in just 3.8 seconds in ludicrous mode.