July 15, 2025 Media personnel take pictures and videos of the TESLA Model Y car at India's first Tesla showroom in Mumbai, India, July 15, 2025. — Reuters The world's richest man, Elon Musk's electric vehicle powerhouse Tesla, officially opened its first showroom in India on Tuesday, finally entering the world's most populous country. The move comes as the company seeks to tap into new customer bases amidst a slowdown in sales across traditional markets like the United States and Europe. The store welcomed select visitors after its inauguration by Maharashtra state's chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. While the showroom is set to open its doors to the general public on Wednesday, eager onlookers and Tesla enthusiasts braved Mumbai's heavy monsoon rains to catch an early glimpse of the vehicles on display. The company — which is targeting a niche but quickly growing electric vehicle market in India — said that it was currently offering its Model Y car in India and would look to start rolling out deliveries of a cheaper variant later this quarter. "This is the first launch of Tesla in India. It marks a huge milestone for Tesla globally," said Isabel Fan, the company's senior regional director, adding that charging stations would be set up in Mumbai and the capital, New Delhi, shortly. Tesla has for years signalled its interest in India but held back due to the country's steep tariffs on electric vehicles. People are seen outside the Tesla showroom ahead of its opening in Mumbai, India, July 15, 2025. — Reuters Musk, who once described India as having "more promise than any large country", has also criticised its import duties, calling them among the "highest in the world". New Delhi has offered to cut import taxes on electric vehicles for global automakers only if they commit to investing hundreds of millions of dollars and make cars locally. Tesla has yet to announce plans to set up a plant in India. India's growing EV industry