Tesla sold under 1,000 cars in its first year in India, but it’s ramping

This is a car industry story, not a home energy story, but here's the gist: Tesla has struggled in India since launching there in September 2025. It sold under 1,000 cars in its first 13 months, and it took nine months just to reach 428 registrations after pricing its Model Y at roughly $70,000, almost double the US price at the time.

Sales picked up this spring after two changes. In April, Tesla launched a six-seat version called the Model Y L at about $65,000, cheaper than the five-seat Long Range version it replaced. Then in late May, Tesla cut the price of its entry-level Model Y by 15%, bringing it to about $53,000. Registrations jumped from under 40 a month to 294 in September, a new record, with the Model Y L making up most of that growth. Tesla also expanded into more Indian cities beyond its original three showrooms.

Even with this growth, Tesla remains a small player in India's EV market, accounting for less than 1% of all electric car registrations in September, though it has become the second-biggest luxury EV brand there. Tesla has confirmed it won't build a factory in India, meaning every car sold there is imported and subject to import duties, unlike competitors building locally. This story doesn't involve home energy upgrades or rebates.