Tesla’s debut in India is expected to boost electric vehicle (EV) imports, but a private analysis shows China had already cemented its dominance well before the U.S. automaker’s arrival.
The Austin-based company opened its first Indian store on July 15 and will import cars from its Shanghai factory.
In FY25, China supplied 61.1% of India’s nearly 10,000 imported EVs—up from 22.8% the previous year. Over the past four years, imports from China have jumped nearly 20 times, growing from just 332 vehicles to take over the EV import market.
Germany, which led until FY24 with a 40% share, dropped to 27.8% in FY25. Still, it topped the charts in value, contributing $118 million of the $244.2 million total EV import bill, thanks to its higher-priced vehicles.
Tesla’s arrival is set to raise the average import price. Germany’s EVs average $44,320 per unit, while Chinese models average just $12,627. South Korea, another key player, exported 647 EVs at an average price of $37,295.
Tesla launched only the Model Y in India—a premium offering priced above $70,000 (around ₹60 lakh). However, despite the excitement, Tesla’s sales in India are expected to remain a tiny fraction of its global total of 2 million units.
India’s EV import market is becoming more consolidated, with China, Germany, and South Korea together making up 95.7% of imports in FY25, up from 75% the year before.
