Prashanth Menon, Tesla’a India country head resigns ahead of automaker’s India entry

Tesla’s India country head, Prashanth Menon, has resigned after nearly nine years with the US electric vehicle (EV) giant, just as the company gears up for a critical market entry in India. 

Menon is stepping down as the chairman of Tesla India’s board after working with the Elon Musk-led company for nearly nine years, 

Notably, the departure comes at a critical time as the Elon Musk-led company prepares to launch its vehicles in the world’s third-largest automobile market. 

Moreover, Tesla’s China team is expected to oversee India operations, and no immediate successor has been named.  

For now, the leadership change raises questions about how Tesla plans to manage this expansion. India is the world’s third-largest car market and a key growth target for Tesla. While, India’s market has unique challenges—ranging from bureaucratic hurdles and import tariffs to diverse consumer behavior 

The Indian government is reportedly negotiating a trade deal with the U.S. that could result in lower tariffs on electric vehicles—a potential game changer for Tesla, which relies on global supply chains and prefers to test new markets with imported vehicles before committing to local manufacturing. 

Furthermore, Tesla has posted close to two dozen mid-level jobs in India, including store, service and customer relationship managers, signaling progress in its plans to launch in the country.