After showroom space, Tesla picks an office in Mumbai: report

US-headquartered electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla has leased office space close to business hub Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai, The Economic Times reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Tesla has obtained a 30-seat office within a co-working facility at Phoenix Market City in Kurla, with a monthly rent of Rs3 lakh.

The lease, signed between Tesla India Motor and Energy and co-working firm EFC earlier this month, is for a one-year term with a three-month lock-in period, the ET report said.

The move provides Tesla with room to adjust and chalk out a roadmap for its India operations.

The Kurla office is expected to be used for early-stage activities, including local hiring, vendor interactions, regulatory processes, and backend support related to the company’s future entry into the Indian EV market, one of the persons in the know told ET.

Tesla’s move comes after it secured a retail space for its first India showroom in BKC, which set a national leasing record at Rs881 per sq ft per month.

The Elon Musk-owned company has been steadily establishing its presence in India.

The Kurla office follows Tesla’s existing offices in Pune and Bengaluru.

The Pune office, located in Viman Nagar and spread across 5,850 sq. ft, also operates from a co-working space.

As previously reported, Tesla is likely to set up a manufacturing unit in Maharashtra, with auto ancillary part manufacturing hubs situated in Chakan and Chikhali, both near Pune.

Chakan is home to India’s auto and manufacturing, with Mercedes Benz, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Volkswagen, and Bajaj Auto plants having their plants there.

Tesla’s activity in India has increased considerably since February after Musk and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions during Modi’s visit to the US.

Previously, Tesla had voiced concerns about India’s high import tariffs on EVs.