Tesla job openings: Amid buzz over India debut, a look at its global business setup

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk at the Blair House, in Washington, DC, USA. (PMO via PTI Photo)

Tesla Inc., the world's most valuable Electric Vehicle company, has announced that it is now hiring in India, signaling the first step toward Tesla’s entry in the country. The company advertised 13 openings on its LinkedIn page on Tuesday, triggering a buzz over the EV manufacturer's much-anticipated entry into India.

"It seems the first Tesla showroom will be in Mumbai soon," Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma posted on X, tagging a post by Sawyer Merritt, a Tesla investor and tech news enthusiast.

It seems the first Tesla showroom will be in Mumbai soon. https://t.co/jxC5Msp5L5
Vijay Shekhar Sharma (@vijayshekhar) February 18, 2025

The job listings on Tesla's official LinkedIn page show thirteen openings in Mumbai and Delhi.

The development, coming days after a meeting between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, signify a step for Tesla towards entering the Indian market. Tesla’s engagement with India has been sporadic over the years, largely due to concerns over high import duties.

However, India's recent decision to reduce basic customs duty on high-end cars priced above $40,000 from 110 percent to 70 percent, coupled with the push to decarbonise its economy and achieve net-zero emissions by 2070, makes the country an increasingly attractive EV market.

While the openings advertised by Tesla have managed to create significant buzz, the company's entry into India will be subject to several factors and discussions.

The company currently sells its cars in 29 countries with the US and China accounting for a majority of its sales. According to the World Population Review, Tesla sold 6,74,924 cars in the US followed by 6,03,664 cars in China in 2023.

As of May 2024, the company sold 2,32,400 cars in US and 2,19,056 cars in China. The other nations that account for a significant chunk of Tesla's sales include Germany, France , UK and Australia.

Tesla has eight manufacturing plants globally where it manufactures more than a million vehicles every year, in addition to energy products, battery cells and more.

These plants are located in:

Fremont: Tesla's first factory—produces Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y
Nevada: One of the world's highest volume plants for electric motors, batteries and powertrains
New York: Builds Solar Roof, solar panels and electrical components for Superchargers
Shanghai: Tesla's first factory abroad—produces Model 3 and Model Y
Kato: Factory responsible for battery development and pilot product production
Texas: Tesla’s new global headquarters produces Model Y and is the future home of Cybertruck
Lathrop: Utility-scale battery factory—optimized for building MegapackBerlin—Brandenburg: Tesla's first European factory—produces Model Y and will produce batteries and more

As per Tesla's website, the company has business operations spread across 52 countries in the world. These operations include stores and galleries, self serve demo drive, service centers, superchargers, destination charging and collision centers.

Tesla offers its full bouquet of services in countries like the US, Canada, Australia, Austria, Germany, New Zealand, and United Kingdom. On the other hand, its presence is limited to just stores or charging facilities is some smaller markets.

Tesla stores and galleries are present in 43 countries worldwide.

A report by CNN-News18 cited Finance Ministry sources as saying that Tesla plans to open three plants in India—one in Gujarat, another in Andhra Pradesh, and a third to be decided later.

The company began scouting locations last year, but the process accelerated after CEO Elon Musk’s meeting with Prime Minister Modi. Additionally, Tesla is considering at least two showrooms to start, with potential locations in Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad under consideration, it added.