Tesla’s India office is refunding early Model 3 reservations, emails seen by Bloomberg show, fueling speculation that the U.S. electric carmaker is about to launch the product in the world’s third-largest auto market.
“We would like to temporarily refund your booking fee,” read a 2016 email to customers who had made such bookings. “As we finalize our offerings in India, we will be venturing into the market again. We hope to see you again once we are ready to launch and deliver services in your country.”
The Elon Musk-led automaker is returning years of pre-orders now that the older-generation Model 3 has been discontinued. The move signals the need for clearing up before the new model can be officially launched in India after years of hesitation due to high import duties.
There are also new job postings on Tesla’s job page for store managers, sales consultants and service managers in New Delhi, as well as a charging developer in Mumbai, further suggesting that the product launch is imminent.
A few days ago, Musk posted on X that he would visit India later this year as India negotiates a trade deal with the United States that may involve lowering auto tariffs.
A more favorable tariff structure could reshape Tesla’s long-term plans. BYD’s global vehicle deliveries fell last year for the first time in more than a decade as the company continues to face tough challenges.
There was no immediate response to an email sent to Tesla’s Asia-Pacific offices outside business hours in India.
For India, a Tesla on the streets would please its increasingly affluent middle- and upper-class population but could harm domestic automakers that employ thousands of people in manufacturing plants.
© 2025 Bloomberg
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