…And how that plays right into their marketing
Beyond the memes, jokes, and mild chaos, Tesla’s entry into the Indian market has been curiously quiet. No press release, no grand reveal — not even a wink at the viral tweet storm that followed. So what’s going on behind the curtain?
My take? Why would a trillion-dollar brand stop the internet from doing its marketing for free? This isn’t new. It’s how premium brands often enter new markets: let the chaos cook, and let aspiration do the talking later.
Tesla’s too expensive, and that’s the point.
Tesla was never trying to be your budget-friendly neighbourhood EV. From day one, the brand positioned itself not just as an electric car company, but as a lifestyle flex. You’re not just buying a vehicle; you’re buying into a vision of the future — one that’s fast, sleek, self-driving, and slightly smug.
So when the Indian price tag of ₹70 lakh dropped, it wasn’t a glitch. It was the point. Tesla’s entire global identity hinges on being aspirational, tech-forward, exclusive, and borderline futuristic. In that sense, India wasn’t an exception. It was an initiation.
This isn’t new. Apple sells ₹200k MacBooks and ₹1,500 clothes to clean them. Dyson sells fans that cost more than refrigerators. Even Starbucks was once considered “too expensive” for Indian coffee culture until it became a lifestyle marker. High prices are part of the playbook.
They don’t repel customers; they build craving.
It’s the exclusivity effect. The higher the price, the more we want it, not despite the cost, but because of it.
The best way to win a race is to start before anyone else.
The ₹70 lakh price tag isn’t aimed at the average Indian buyer. It’s laser-focused on a very specific audience: tech millionaires and startup founders. These are the early adopters, the ones who bought iPhones before they were cool and booked Cybertrucks before they existed.
Right now, Tesla’s playing the status game. But in 3–5 years, the economics could shift. Talks of a Gigafactory in India are already heating up, and if that happens, local production could slash costs significantly. Add to that government incentives for EVs, expanding infrastructure, and changing public perception, and suddenly Tesla’s not a rare flex anymore.
By then, it might be too late for competitors. Tesla will have already won the mindshare of Indian luxury EVs. That’s first-mover advantage in action.
India’s Relationship with Luxury.
A car is more than just a vehicle in India. A car is your character statement. Your car shows your lifestyle, profession, habits and even your prospects. And this is what Tesla is gunning for. It says you’ve arrived, you’re futuristic, you’re part of the global club of the elite. For the upper-middle class and tech-savvy entrepreneurs, it’s less about the horsepower and more about the head turns.
High pricing doesn’t always push people away here. Sometimes, it pulls them in — especially when the product taps into aspiration and identity. In a country where status still means something, a Tesla isn’t overpriced. It’s just priced like a dream.
By: Sushrut Tewari,
A writer covering trends, innovation, and brand storytelling in India and beyond.
