Why Tesla's wheels aren't turning in India (yet)

<p>Tesla’s story in India has been more like a stalled engine than a roaring electric debut—despite years of headlines, high-level meetings, and hopeful tweets. While the Indian government did slash import duties on premium EVs from a staggering 110% to a friendlier 15%, it wasn’t enough. Because for Tesla, this isn't just about taxes. It is about suppliers, standards, scale, and most importantly, timing. But India wants Tesla.</p><p>Prime ministers have courted the company. Officials have tweaked policies. Showrooms are being prepped. And yet, eight years after the Model 3 opened bookings in India, those cool-looking cars are nowhere to be seen on our roads. In fact, buyers have been canceling and Tesla’s India leadership is quitting. </p><p>What is going on?</p><p>Tune in.</p><p><em>**Correction: The host mistakenly referred to Hyundai Ioniq car model as Iconiq. The error is regretted.</em></p><p><br /><strong><em>P.S The Ken’s podcast team is hiring! </em></strong><a href="https://the-ken.com/careers/"><strong><em>Here’s</em></strong></a><strong><em> what we’re looking for.<br /></em></strong><br /></p><p><strong><em>Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. </em></strong><a href="https://the-ken.com/pricing/"><strong><em>Subscribe</em></strong></a><strong><em> for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.Listen to the latest episode of Two by Two </em></strong><a href="https://the-ken.com/podcasts/two-by-two/"><strong><em>here</em></strong></a></p>