Tesla Inc. has started hiring in India, a strong sign that the company plans to enter the market soon. This comes shortly after Tesla's Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the US.

The electric car company has listed 13 job openings on LinkedIn. These jobs include both customer-facing roles and back-end positions. At least five positions, such as service technician and advisory roles, are available in Mumbai and Delhi. Other roles, like customer engagement manager and delivery operations specialist, are based in Mumbai.

Why Tesla delayed its India entry

Tesla has been interested in India for years but did not enter the market due to high import taxes. Earlier, India’s import tax on high-end cars priced above $40,000 was 110%. However, the country has now lowered it to 70%, making it easier for Tesla to sell cars in India.

Even though India's electric vehicle (EV) market is still small compared to China’s, Tesla sees it as a new opportunity. Last year, India sold nearly 100,000 electric cars, whereas China sold around 11 million. Tesla is also looking for new markets after experiencing its first annual drop in EV sales in more than ten years.

Musk’s meeting with Modi and Trump

Tesla’s hiring plans come after PM Modi met Elon Musk and President Donald Trump in Washington last week. Trump later said that PM Modi agreed to start talks on reducing the US trade deficit and increasing military purchases, including steps to "ultimately supply F-35 fighter jets."

Elon Musk, a key member of Trump’s cabinet, also met PM Modi. However, Trump did not clarify whether Musk was there as a business leader or as part of his role with the "DOGE team." Musk's government role has raised questions about his mix of business and politics.

Recently, Italy confirmed that it was in talks with Musk’s SpaceX for a secure communications deal. This happened after Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met then-President-elect Trump in Florida.

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