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Tesla bails on crucial piece of India production, aims to rely on imports

Tesla is not keen on establishing an entire production facility in India, and will instead focus on importing.

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Credit: Narendra Modi | Twitter

Tesla is bailing on a crucial piece of the puzzle that would likely enable the production of its vehicles in India, and will instead rely on imports, a bold strategy in the broader scheme, as the country has prioritized local manufacturing in an effort to bolster its economy.

The automaker has dragged its feet to commit to a localized production strategy in India, something that seemed to be the only pathway to a mass market presence in what is the most populous country in the world.

However, Tesla has evidently made a decision on what its plans for the market will be. It seems apparent that it still wants to sell vehicles in India and establish a presence there, but it will not do it in what many would consider a more traditional sense: building vehicles domestically. This is something the company has sparred with the Indian government on for several years.

Now, it’s made up its mind.

During a press conference earlier today, India’s Heavy Industry Minister, Shri Kumaraswamy, confirmed Tesla’s plans for how it will penetrate the massive Indian market, and it will not be doing so through domestic manufacturing:

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Kumaraswamy indicated that Tesla has no interest in building cars in India, but it wants to establish some presence there, especially with showrooms, allowing citizens to see and drive the cars they could buy from the company.

The move comes as India has made major progress in reducing the import duties that have frightened many automakers from doing business as importers. India’s massive import duties on vehicles built in other countries doubled prices, which is a significant reason for Tesla’s delay in entering the market.

India is considering a reduction to just 10 percent from 100 percent, which would be significant for companies like Tesla, which are doing whatever they can to enter the market without feeling the impact of the duties.

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Electric vehicles made up just 2.5 percent of sales in 2024. There were 4.3 million vehicle purchases in India last year.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Investor's Corner

Cantor Fitzgerald raises Tesla PT To $510, citing Cybercab, Semi, and AI momentum

The firm cited upcoming production milestones for the Cybercab, Semi, and Optimus as key drivers behind its revised valuation.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Cantor Fitzgerald has boosted its Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) price target from $355 to $510 per share, maintaining an “Overweight” rating over its continued confidence in the company’s long-term growth. 

Analyst Andres Sheppard cited upcoming production milestones for the Cybercab, Semi, and Optimus as key drivers behind Cantor Fitzgerald’s revised valuation, as well as expanding opportunities in Tesla’s Energy and Full Self-Driving initiatives.

Major growth from multiple Tesla programs

According to Sheppard, Tesla disclosed that volume production for the Cybercab, Semi, and Megapack 3 is on track for fiscal year 2026, with Optimus production lines also targeted to launch next year. The analyst highlighted these updates as “significant,” noting that Tesla’s diverse roadmap continues to reinforce its position as a vertically integrated energy and AI company.

Cantor Fitzgerald now expects Tesla’s capital expenditures at approximately $9.2 billion for FY2025 and around $12 billion for FY 2026, a substantial increase tied to the company’s efforts to further scale its operations. The analyst noted that these investments align with Tesla’s push into robotics, autonomous driving, and energy storage.

Confidence in AI-driven expansion

Tesla shares closed at $433.72 last Friday, giving Cantor Fitzgerald’s $510 price target an implied upside of roughly 17.6%. The revised forecast reflects the firm’s expectation that Tesla’s long-term value extends far beyond vehicle sales, with strong upside from the company’s FSD, Robotaxi/Cybercab, Semi, and Optimus initiatives, as noted in a StreetInsider report.

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“Overall, we remain bullish on TSLA over the medium to long term,” Sheppard wrote. “We continue to see meaningful future upside from Energy Storage & Deployment, FSD, Robotaxis/Cybercab, Semis, and Optimus Bots.”

Tesla highlighted these key initiatives in its Q3 2025 Update Letter. “We continue to evolve and augment our product lineup with a focus on cost, scale and future monetization opportunities via services powered by our AI software. Cybercab, Tesla Semi and Megapack 3 are on schedule for volume production starting in 2026,” the company wrote.

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Tesla is ramping its hiring for Cybercab vehicle manufacturing roles

A check of the company’s Careers website shows 30 open positions tied to the Cybercab project, with 25 focused directly on vehicle manufacturing.

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Credit: Tesla/YouTube

Tesla is accelerating preparations for its upcoming Cybercab by rapidly expanding its hiring efforts in Austin, Texas. 

A check of the company’s Careers website shows 30 open positions tied to the Cybercab project, with 25 focused directly on vehicle manufacturing. The spike in listings suggests that Tesla may be gearing up for a production ramp of its fully autonomous two-seater at Giga Texas.

New Cybercab job listings

Tesla’s Careers page now features several new roles that appear crucial to the Cybercab’s buildout. Among the most recent additions are openings for Engineering Technicians for the Cybercab’s drive units, battery pack, and general assembly, as well as positions for Equipment Technicians for the vehicle’s production lines.

Earlier this month, Tesla only had three openings related to the autonomous two-seater’s manufacturing. Even then, it was already exciting as the Cybercab would be produced using Tesla’s “Unboxed” manufacturing process. This process is designed to make the Cybercab easier and quicker to produce. 

Similar to previous Cybercab-related job listings, all of the openings are currently based in Austin, Texas. This suggests that for now, at least, the production of the Cybercab will really be focused on Giga Texas to start.

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Ultra-fast Cybercab production targets

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has described the Cybercab as the company’s highest-volume vehicle yet, targeting an annual production rate of around 2 million units. He added that the Cybercab line will operate more like a “high-speed consumer electronics” assembly process than a conventional car factory.

“If you’ve seen the design of the Cybercab line, it doesn’t look like a normal car manufacturing line,” Musk said earlier this year. “It looks like a really high-speed consumer electronics line. In fact, the line will move so fast that actually people can’t even get close to it.”

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Memphis to use xAI taxes for neighborhood improvements: “Truly a blessing”

City officials confirmed that the funds will be reinvested in local neighborhoods near xAI’s Colossus supercomputer.

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Credit: xAI/X

The City of Memphis has collected all taxes owed by Elon Musk’s xAI before the payment deadline, creating a $3.2 million special revenue fund to support communities affected by the company’s operations. 

City officials confirmed that the funds will be reinvested in local neighborhoods near xAI’s Colossus supercomputer.

Directing xAI funds toward community projects

Mayor Paul Young’s administration recently outlined how the funds will be allocated. The initiative was focused on improving infrastructure and quality of life in neighborhoods impacted by xAI’s construction and operations. 

Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton emphasized that the process will include public input, with surveys already distributed to residents to guide spending priorities, according to ABC24.

“With that ordinance, we are in the near future getting ready to set up the committee because this is the people’s money,” Cooper-Sutton said. “We wanna make sure that it is used for the people.”

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Officials noted that they are planning to present a final proposal to the entire council after reviewing community feedback. Cooper-Sutton added that the program represents a step toward ensuring businesses operating in Memphis treat residents “fairly and with equality.”

“It is truly, truly a blessing. What we are doing here at this body and this council, we wanna make sure that whatever business that comes here, that the people are treated fairly and with equality,” she stated. 

xAI partnership fuels local job opportunities

Beyond tax revenue, xAI’s growing presence is expected to bolster Memphis’ workforce development goals. Earlier this month, the artificial intelligence startup co-hosted a job fair at Crosstown Concourse with the American Job Center to connect residents with new employment pathways.

“We know that jobs are coming. We know that talent is here,” Melody Freemon, executive director of the Greater Memphis Workforce Development Board, stated. “We wanna make sure we’re not just putting people in any ole jobs. We wanna put people on a pathway to self-sustainability. We wanna put people on a pathway to self-sustainability and something they can rely on in the future.”

Freemon also noted that the Greater Memphis Workforce Development Board was able to make a favorable offer to xAI. “We promised that we can provide a pipeline. This is the central hub for connection. This is where job seekers are, so let us take the headache off of your hiring needs. Come here, let us source the people and make sure that we meet the demand,” Freeman stated.

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