Chinese EVs rule imports to India – Can Tesla Make a Difference?

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming more popular in India, and most of the imported ones are coming from China. In fact, in the financial year 2024-25 (FY25), China made up over 61% of all EV imports—that’s a big jump from just 23% the year before. In the last four years, Chinese EV imports have grown almost 20 times, from just 332 cars to nearly 10,000.

China Leads, Germany Follows

Until last year, Germany was the top country exporting EVs to India. But this year, it dropped to second place with a 27.8% share. Even though Germany is behind China in the number of cars, it still leads in value—sending $118 million worth of EVs out of India’s $244.2 million total EV imports.

That’s because German EVs are much more expensive. On average, a German EV costs $44,320, while a Chinese EV costs only $12,627. South Korea is also in the mix, selling 647 EVs to India at an average price of $37,295.

Tesla Enters the Scene

Tesla officially entered the Indian market on July 15, 2025, by opening its first store. But here’s an interesting twist: Tesla is shipping its cars from Shanghai, China, so technically, it adds to China’s numbers too.

For now, Tesla is only offering the Model Y in India, which costs over $70,000 (around ₹60 lakh). That’s much more than most other EVs sold here, so it’s likely to stay a niche option for luxury buyers.

Despite all the buzz around Tesla, experts say its sales in India will be small, especially compared to its global sales of around 2 million cars.

A Market of Few Players

India’s EV import market is now very focused on just a few countries. China, Germany, and South Korea together account for 95.7% of EV imports, compared to 75% last year.

While India is seeing strong growth in EV sales, luxury EVs are still a small slice of the pie. In 2024, only 6.6% of all EVs sold were luxury models—that’s about 5,926 out of 90,354 EVs.

What to Watch

As Tesla begins operations in India, many are wondering if it can change the game. But with its high price and limited models, it may not shake China’s stronghold in the EV import space—at least not yet.

👉 Stay tuned to EV India News for more updates on the Indian electric vehicle market!