Tesla posts requirements for India ops
Tesla has started hiring in India, listing key job openings in Mumbai and Delhi. This move follows its CEO Elon Musk’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to the United States, signalling Tesla’s expansion into the Indian market.
This move by the company is a key milestone toward its highly awaited Indian market entry. The firm has posted 13 jobs of different categories, ranging from customer-facing to back-end roles, on its LinkedIn page.
Bloomberg reported that a minimum of five of the jobs, including advisory and service technician, are offered in both Delhi and Mumbai. Customer engagement manager and delivery operations specialist are mainly offered in Mumbai.
Tesla has had a bumpy ride with the Indian market because of the high import tariffs on electric cars in India. Musk has been complaining about these tariffs for a long time, which initially prevented Tesla from entering the Indian market.
Nevertheless, marking a big change in policy, India cut basic customs duty to 70 per cent from 110 per cent on the expensive cars worth more than USD 40,000. The change is part of India’s own drive toward de-carbonisation as it heads toward net-zero by 2070.
With increasing disposable incomes and a surge in demand for electric cars, India is emerging as an important market for international automakers. The recent policy changes by the Government, such as cutting import duties on EVs for manufacturers investing at least Rs 41.5 billion (USD 500 million) in domestic manufacturing, have attracted India as an even more attractive destination for Tesla.
Elon Musk was originally slated to travel to India in April 2024 to meet about Tesla’s plans for investment and manufacturing sites. He cancelled his visit, though, because of urgent matters at Tesla, such as layoffs and car recalls in the US.
In spite of previous delays, Tesla’s recent hiring campaign indicates growing interest in the Indian market, which may lead to future investment and local manufacturing.