Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) reported 486,532 deliveries in the third quarter, a figure that came in ahead of analyst estimates. While the figure may show strength in several regions, fewer than 1,000 of those deliveries in the quarter were in India. But the country is now starting to see momentum.
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Tesla India Gets Slow Start
Tesla launched deliveries of the Model Y in India in September 2025, with lofty goals of selling 2,500 vehicles in the first year. The total in the first 12 months was only 699, with less than 1,000 vehicles (993) sold in the first 13 months.
In the first month, only 69 vehicles were registered, according to data from Electree, as reported by Electrek.
The weak sales came with the Model Y launching with a price of around $70,000 in the country, higher than many other electric vehicle models.
That total of 69 took months to beat.
In 2025, Tesla had 226 registrations in India for vehicles, a total for the first four months of availability in the country.
The first five months of 2026 didn’t fare much better with 202 registrations, including a new monthly low of 29 in February.
Things changed in April and that could be the key for investors to be excited, even with India being a small portion of Tesla’s overall sales.
Tesla’s Winning Strategies
Tesla launched the six-seat Model Y L in India in April with a price of around $65,000, cheaper than the five-seat Y Long-Range model ($71,000). That move paid off with demand for the six-seater higher than in past months.
The EV giant also cut the price of the entry-level Model Y in the country in May to a price of around $53,000.
Those two moves led to an increase in demand and a record 294 registrations for September 2026.
Here are the registration numbers over the last four months:
- June: 38
- July: 116
- August: 117
- September: 294
Over the last four months, registrations of 565 have topped the 428 figure from the combined prior nine months.
Tesla has added showrooms in India. Together, these moves have increased demand and more registrations. October data will remain key to see if the trend of higher registrations continues.
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Room to Grow
Less than 1,000 vehicles sold in India in the first 13 months offers plenty of opportunity for Tesla in a growing EV market.
In India, there were 35,995 EVs registered in September, a figure that was up 98% year-over-year. Tesla’s market share of 0.8% pales in comparison to Tata, which sold 14,769 vehicles during the month.
Another winner in India is VinFast (NASDAQ:VFS), with 2,963 registrations in September. VinFast started in India in the same month as Tesla, but differed by operating a plant in the country, allowing for lower prices on vehicles to get around import duties. Tesla chose not to build a factory in the country.
In the premium segment, Tesla ranks second with around 30% market share, trailing only BMW.
Tesla is a small player in India, which remains a small portion of the company’s total vehicle deliveries. Based on the growth in recent months after several notable company changes, there could be room for more growth for the EV giant.
Image via Shutterstock/ Fly Of Swallow Studio
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