Anand Mahindra Welcomes Elon Musk's Tesla To India, Shares 2017 Post: 'See You At Charging Station'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Indian billionaire Anand Mahindra has rolled out a red carpet for Elon Musk's Tesla, as the electric vehicle (EV) giant officially enters the Indian market.

Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra Group, took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to welcome Tesla, emphasising the importance of competition.

Mahindra shares old playful challenge to Tesla

Along with welcoming the company, Mahindra also shared a screenshot of a 2017 exchange between him and Elon Musk.

In that post, Musk had lauded India's commitment to sell only electric vehicles by 2030 and its status as the largest market for solar power.

Responding to that, Mahindra said,“Time you got here Elon. You don't want to leave the whole market to Mahindra do you? The more the merrier and greenier.”

Competition to drive innovation

In the latest X post, Mahindra stated,“Welcome to India, @elonmusk and @Tesla,” adding that“One of the world's largest EV opportunities just got more exciting.”

The Indian businessman also stated,“Looking forward to seeing you at the charging station.”

Netizens react to the post

Mahindra's welcome post received mixed reactions from X users. While some users claimed that Tesla would find it difficult to sell cars to the price-conscious Indian buyers, others praised Tesla for its advanced technology and envisioned its rapid growth in the near future.

A user pointed out that Fortuner sold approximately 29,000 units last year in India at ₹35–55L. Will people really buy a Tesla starting at ₹60L?

Conflicting comments on Anand Mahindra's post.

Another X user mirrored the statement by saying,“Tesla's arrival won't make much of a difference; only a few rich people will be able to afford it.”

Contrary to the negative comments, a user said,“Tesla will not just sell EV! It will integrate EV with xAI(Trained on Indian data as well as world data). This is where Indian EV manufacturers will lack and lose the EV battle unless a heavy in-house AI system gets developed.”

Tesla's entry into India

Tesla has officially started its operations in India with the inauguration of its first showroom, the“Tesla Experience Centre”, in Mumbai's prominent Bandra Kurla Complex.

The company has launched its premium SUV, the Model Y, with prices starting around ₹61 lakh (on-road).

MENAFN15072025007365015876ID1109805254