Latest news with #VarunKrishnan
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Tesla India receives mixed reactions amid booking woes
Tesla's long-anticipated debut in India has finally materialised, with the EV giant opening its first showroom at Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and launching online bookings for its Model Y. While this marks a milestone for India's EV landscape, the rollout has been met with a surprising mix of excitement and frustration among potential buyers. Tesla India made the announcement on social media, stating, 'Now everyone in India can order directly on our website,' while highlighting priority delivery in four key cities — Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, and Gurugram, IndiaTimes reports. The Model Y, Tesla's first offering for India, is being imported as a completely built unit (CBU) from the company's Shanghai Gigafactory and is priced from ₹59.89 lakh (ex-showroom). Customers can configure their car online, select features such as interiors, wheels and Enhanced Autopilot, and confirm the booking with a ₹2 lakh refundable deposit. Customer Frustration Over Delayed Deliveries However, the launch has triggered discontent among early backers and reservation holders. Several customers who placed deposits as early as last year — in some cases amounting to $1,000 (approx. ₹83,000) — claim to have seen no progress in their delivery timelines or received refunds without further explanation. Varun Krishnan, founder of tech blog FoneArena and an early Tesla supporter, voiced his disappointment over the lack of communication and delivery clarity. Similarly, Vishal Gondal, founder and CEO of a fitness tech firm, said he booked a Tesla Model 3 back in 2016 but felt underwhelmed after visiting the new Mumbai showroom this week. Imported Model Y Faces Regulatory and Pricing Challenges Tesla's initial India entry is being carried out without local manufacturing, relying instead on imports that attract steep tariffs — a hurdle that Elon Musk had repeatedly cited in the past. Despite recent dialogues with the Indian government, the Model Y remains a premium product with limited appeal due to high costs. Still, Tesla's move to open online bookings across India marks a shift in the company's India strategy. Interested buyers can now select the Model Y via the official website by choosing configurations and making a refundable deposit. Once booked, a delivery advisor is assigned to assist the buyer through the next steps. For now, the launch has set expectations high — but also raised questions about whether the brand can live up to its promise in India's complex and competitive EV market.
Time of India
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Tesla Model Y online bookings go live in India: Check price range, priority cities and step-by-step booking guide
Tesla finally arrived in India last week after years of speculation in a grand inauguration at Mumbai's BKC. With a physical entry into the market, tech billionaire Elon Musk's electric vehicle company has kicked off online orders in India as well. Moreover, the global EV giant has started accepting online orders on its website, with priorities given to the four major cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, and Gurugram. The significant development was announced on Tuesday, July 22, Tesla India, which wrote a post on X (formerly called Twitter) that read, "Now everyone in India can order directly on our website," giving a list of locations from where customers can place orders while highlighting the priority delivery locations." However, amid this, it seems that the arrival of the most anticipated car brand in India has triggered frustration rather than expected excitement. But why? Let's find out. Tesla's pre-booking triggers frustration among buyers According to Afaqs, many of those who had put a $1,000 (Rs 83,000) deposit nearly a year ago allegedly reported not having received their Tesla and received back their deposited money. TechCrunch reports similar cases of frustration among customers, while early Tesla backer Varun Krishnan, who runs FoneArena, a tech blog, said that it is frustrating to see Tesla take so long in the delivery process. On the other hand, the founder and CEO of a fitness tech company, Vishal Gondal, pre-booked a Model 3 in 2016 just hours after the registrations went live, but after he visited the Tesla showroom in Bandra-Kurla Complex, Gondal felt a bit underwhelmed, as per the report. Tesla in India: List of online delivery and priority locations Priority delivery in: Mumbai Pune Delhi Gurugram Now everyone in India can order directly on our website Tesla in India: Price range, car model, and more According to NDTV Profit, the Elon Musk-led EV has launched its Model Y with a price range starting from Rs 59.89 lakh on the day of its physical showroom opening in Mumbai. While Musk had earlier cited that India's high tariffs were the reason the company had not entered the country earlier, it has only an imported Model Y as a completely built unit (CBU) from Tesla's Shanghai manufacturing facility in China. Step-by-step guide to booking a Tesla Model Y online Step 1: Go to the official website- Step 2: Then choose the Model Y. Step 3: Pick your preferred colour, interiors, wheels, and other features like Enhanced Autopilot. Step 4: Now pay the Rs 2 lakh refundable booking fee online. Step 5: Once the booking is done, Tesla will assign a delivery advisor to help you with the next steps. FAQs Q. How to book a Tesla in India? Bookings are exclusively online via Tesla's India website. Q. What are the initial booking and payment requirements? A Rs 22,220 non-refundable booking fee is required, and the remaining Rs 3 lakh is due in seven days. Q. What is the delivery timeline? It is anticipated that deliveries of the Model Y will begin in the third quarter of this year; precise dates will be disclosed later.
