Tesla’s first dedicated centre in India offers a more streamlined EV ownership model

Tesla India just opened its first dedicated centre in Gurugram, India, activating the next phase of its India offensive, after a few months of lacklustre sales. The centre will serve as Tesla’s largest hub in the country, offering after-sales service and access to the brand’s latest V4 Superchargers.

The brand’s subsidiary, now headed by Sharad Agarwal, is currently offering the Model Y through the CBU route. The first order of business for Sharad Agarwal, formerly the Head of Lamborghini India, is to address the many misconceptions surrounding EVs, while also engaging with the brand’s customer base by increasing brand awareness.

Tesla India believes that a third of the Model Y’s cost can be recovered in four to five years, given that the vehicle requires no on-location service and comes with no service intervals – a feat that other EV makers cannot claim. As such, Tesla India does not have a dedicated service network in the country, opting to troubleshoot any issue remotely, given the simple and apparently robust nature of the powertrain.

Expanding the supercharger network

Although the American EV giant’s Indian subsidiary hasn’t put out a number, the brand has announced its intent to build a supercharger network in India, starting with Tier 1 cities like Mumbai and Delhi. The brand has earmarked specific corporate tech parks, shopping malls and commercial hubs where multiple patented Superchargers – essentially DC fast chargers offering 250 kW of power can provide upwards of 270km range in under 15 minutes.

The Superchargers, as is the case globally, are only compatible with Tesla vehicles, offering a certain exclusivity and ease of use, since they do not need to interact with any complicated interface or app to commence charging.

Public fast charging in India, although still in its nascent stage, has already proven to have certain complications, with many customers complaining that charging hubs are being occupied by fleet cab electric vehicles.

The long-drawn and often complicated process of commencing charging through specific apps has also proven to be cumbersome for many, and is one of the key pillars through which Tesla plans to differentiate itself.

Full Self-Driving and technology edge

Another major differentiator is Tesla’s patented “FSD” or Full Self-Driving software, which allows the car to pilot itself autonomously through all urban driving scenarios, while under the constant supervision of a driver, who must remain seated in the driver’s seat at all times.

The technology, which uses multiple on-board cameras to determine its movements in real-time, has faced regulatory hurdles internationally, but has also been approved in seven different countries. It’s a technology Tesla India believes is feasible even for Indian driving conditions. The brand states that the unpredictable nature of the Indian motorist, poor lane markings and other infrastructural shortcomings will not prove to be a barrier for FSD to function. All Model Ys sold in India at present are fully FSD compatible and only need regulatory approval to be road-ready.

Market response

Tesla also maintains that the residual value of its EVs will not be a concern, citing examples of markets like Hong Kong, where Tesla holds on to 65% of their original value. The brand attributes this to the simple and constantly updated nature of the car, with a string of automatic, over-the-air software updates always optimising the car, keeping obsolescence at bay even seven to eight years after purchase, despite the brand’s famously slow, generational replacement cycle and slim product portfolio.

After a few months of operating in India, it is evident that Tesla cannot coast on brand cache and novelty alone. While many experts anticipated a major sales rush during the brand’s first month of operations, the buzz on social media created by Tesla and its founder Elon Musk’s admirers did not translate into an avalanche of sales, with the brand having sold 40 cars in October 2025. However, Tesla maintains that customer response has been encouraging from the very beginning, with some customers coming back to purchase their second car.

Futuristic, button-free interiors

Sitting inside a Tesla can be a polarising experience. On one hand, its steadfast adherence to minimalism borders on frugality – an attribute Indians aren’t likely to respond to very well. Some interior bits feel like they’re built to a cost. On the other hand, Tesla centralising all functions to its centre console screen, while presenting a learning curve, reduces the likelihood of electrical issues and faulty mechanisms.

Its interior remains completely button-free, with no indicator stalks on either side, no transmission lever and no aircon controls. Initiating forward movement requires a swipe of the screen, engaging reverse requires you to swipe the top-down, two-dimensional car logo on the top-right-hand corner of the screen in the opposite direction.

Even the frunk, the boot and the doors can be opened via the touchscreen. For many tech-forward and cashed-up consumers in major cities, Tesla’s novelty lies in the vision of the future that it offers.

Looking ahead

To address concerns about EV adoption, Tesla will need to offer buyback schemes and assurances on steady residual value to assuage the concerns around EVs. It is something the brand is considering, although there has been no official statement on when it will introduce such a scheme.

With local assembly not on the horizon, the brand’s investment in India will primarily come through expanding its Supercharger network, first in Tier 1 cities and then across the country's most popular, tourist-heavy highway routes.

The brand has not stated a specific number of Superchargers that it intends to offer. At the moment, four charging stations are available across the country with 16 Superchargers and 10 destination chargers.

(Parth Charan is a freelance journalist tracking the auto sector)