Connect with us
Tesla CEO Elon Musk with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tesla CEO Elon Musk with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Investor's Corner

Tesla (TSLA) stock is widely popular in India where Teslas are a rare breed

Tesla CEO Elon Musk with India Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Photo: Narendra Modi/Twitter)

Published

on

Tesla’s electric cars are a rarity in India, but the company’s stock certainly is not.

Small-time Indian investors are snapping up Tesla shares (NASDAQ: TSLA) like hotcakes, even though the company’s all-electric cars are among the rarest vehicles to spot in the country. Indians are placing huge bets on U.S.-based companies this year after tech entities have contributed to one of the quickest rebounds in the world in terms of economic conditions that were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Apple, Amazon, and Facebook are widely popular stocks worldwide because of each company’s massive international presence. However, Tesla is emerging as the new number one preference for Indian investors even though the country has a small-time population of Tesla owners. Import taxes nearly double the cost of a Tesla electric vehicle in India, making them among the rarest vehicles in the country while the company’s presence elsewhere continues to grow.

Vested Finance, an India-based brokerage, said its accounts held $2.5 million worth of TSLA shares in November. This is a significant increase in concentration compared to early 2020 figures, which stood at just $76,000 at the end of March. Stockal, another brokerage in India, has seen its TSLA holdings quadruple to $10 million during the same period, Reuters reported.

The investors who chose to funnel their hard-earned money into TSLA’s stock have been rewarded as the company’s shares have increased by 450% during the timeframe. At the end of March, TSLA was trading at $104.80. Currently trading at a shade under $600 a share, TSLA has been one of Wall Street’s biggest stocks during the year.

One of the biggest individual investors in TSLA stock is 33-year-old Gaurav Jhunjhunwala, who became an Elon Musk fan after reading his biography. He paid $1,000 to book a Model 3 reservation whenever Tesla enters India and has been buying 30 shares of TSLA stock every other week. Currently, he says he has invested $100,000 into the electric automaker.

Advertisement

“I just like the way the guy thinks,” Jhunjhunwala said about Musk. “He is trying to make the world a better place.”

While Tesla is not a company with a notable presence in India as of right now, the company has inquired about building a factory in the country in the past. The demand for vehicles in India is notable, and consumers would likely buy the company’s cars. Still, a long process of establishing a manufacturing plant in the country is not advantageous currently. As of now, Tesla is building international plants in Shanghai, China, and Brandenburg, Germany, near Berlin. These locations are advantageous for Tesla at the current time because they will funnel vehicles to Asian and European countries where demand for electric vehicles is skyrocketing.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, did indicate that the electric automaker will “for sure” make its entry into the Indian market in 2021 in a Tweet in October. Local government officials in Karnataka, a state in India, have indicated that they plan to speak with Tesla officials to get concrete plans into place.

Elon Musk teases more plans for Tesla’s entry into India

“We are firmly committed to policy building and changes for sustainable development, and I personally believe that electric mobility, supported by renewable energy is the way ahead. Let’s hope we can help this thought become mainstream soon,” wrote Aaditya Thackeray, Shiv Sena leader and son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Advertisement

Disclaimer: Joey Klender is a TSLA Shareholder.

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

Advertisement
Comments

Investor's Corner

Tesla welcomes Chipotle President Jack Hartung to its Board of Directors

Tesla announced the addition of its new director in a post on social media platform X.

Published

on

Credit: @ArthurFromX/X

Tesla has welcomed Chipotle president Jack Hartung to its Board of Directors. Hartung will officially start his tenure at the electric vehicle maker on June 1, 2025.

Tesla announced the addition of its new director in a post on social media platform X.

Jack Hartung’s Role

With Hartung’s addition, the Tesla Board will now have nine members. It’s been a while since the company added a new director. Prior to Hartung, the last addition to the Tesla Board was Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia back in 2022. As noted in a Reuters report, Hartung will serve on the Tesla Board’s audit committee. He will also retire from his position as president and chief strategy officer at Chipotle, and transition into a senior advisor’s role at the restaurant chain, next month.

Hartung has had a long career in the Mexican grill, joining Chipotle in 2002. He held several positions in the company, most recently serving as Chipotle’s President and Chief Strategy Officer. Tesla highlighted Hartung’s accomplishments in a post on its official account on X.

“Over the past 20+ years under Jack’s financial leadership, Chipotle has seen significant growth with over 3,700 restaurants today across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Jack was named ‘CFO of the Year’ by Orange County Business Journal and Best CFO in the restaurant category by Institutional Investor,” Tesla wrote in its post on X.

Advertisement

Tesla Board and Musk

Tesla is a controversial company with a controversial CEO, so it is no surprise that the Board of Directors tend to get flak as well. Two weeks ago, for example, Tesla Board Chair Robyn Denholm slammed The Wall Street Journal for publishing an article alleging that company directors had considered a search for a potential successor to Elon Musk. Denholm herself has also been criticized for offloading her TSLA shares.

More recently, news emerged suggesting that the Tesla Board of Directors had formed a special committee aimed at exploring a new pay package for CEO Elon Musk. The committee is reportedly comprised of Tesla board Chair Robyn Denholm and independent director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, and they would be exploring alternative compensation methods for Musk’s contributions to the company.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Rivian stock rises as analysts boost price targets post Q1 earnings

Rivian impressed with smaller-than-expected losses & strong revenue, pushing analysts to raise price targets.

Published

on

(Credit: Rivian)

Rivian stock is gaining traction as Wall Street analysts raise price targets following the electric vehicle (EV) maker’s first-quarter earnings report. Despite a dip after the announcement, optimism surrounds Rivian’s cost control and upcoming lower-priced cars.

Last week, Rivian reported a better-than-expected Q1 gross profit, surpassing Wall Street’s forecasts with adjusted losses of $0.48 per share against expectations of $0.92 per share. The company also reported a revenue of $1.24 billion compared to the $1.01 billion anticipated.

However, the EV automaker cut its 2025 delivery forecast and capital spending due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs. It explained that it is “not immune to the impacts of the global trade and economic environment.” RIVN stock dropped nearly 6% post-earnings, closing at $12.72 per share.

Wall Street remains upbeat about Rivian, citing progress toward launching lower-priced vehicles in 2026 and effective cost management. On Monday, Stifel analyst Stephen Gengaro raised his RIVN price target to $18 from $16, maintaining a “Buy” rating. He highlighted Rivian’s “solid progress” toward key milestones.

Advertisement

Conversely, Bernstein’s Daniel Roeska gave RIVN a “Sell” rating. However, Roeska also lifted his Rivian price target to $7.05 from $6.10, acknowledging “better” Q1 results. He warned that profitability remains distant and hinges on multiple product launches by the decade’s end.

Overall, Wall Street’s average price target for RIVN climbed from $14.18 to $14.31, a modest 13-cent increase reflecting positive sentiment. About one-third of analysts covering Rivian rate it a Buy, compared to the S&P 500’s average Buy-rating ratio of 55%.

On Monday, Rivian stock rose 2.7% to $14.64, slightly trailing the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average, which gained 3.3% and 2.8%, respectively. The uptick may also stem from broader market gains tied to news of a temporary U.S.-China tariff suspension.

As Rivian navigates trade challenges and scales production at its Illinois factory, its Q1 performance and analyst support signal resilience. With lower-priced EVs on the horizon, Rivian’s strategic moves could bolster its position in the competitive EV market, offering investors cautious optimism for long-term growth.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Tesla (TSLA) poised to hit $1 trillion valuation again amid reports of Trump China deal

TSLA stock was up about 8% at $322.56 per share on Monday’s premarket.

Published

on

tesla-model-y-giga-texas-logo
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla shares (NASDAQ:TSLA) are on a tear on Monday’s premarket amidst reports that the United States and China have agreed to significantly roll back tariffs on each other’s goods for an initial 90-day period.

As of writing, the premarket price of TSLA shares suggests that the electric vehicle maker might end Monday with a $1 trillion valuation once more.

Tesla and China

TSLA stock was up about 8% at $322.56 per share on Monday’s premarket. As noted in a report from Barron’s, these prices suggest that the company could achieve a trillion-dollar valuation again, a level not seen since late February. Similar to Tesla, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were also up 2.8% and 2.1%, respectively, on Monday’s premarket.

The United States and China’s decision to roll back its tariffs would likely be appreciated by CEO Elon Musk. Despite working for the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and despite Tesla being least affected by the Trump administration’s tariffs due to its strong domestic supply chains in the United States, China, and Europe, Musk has noted that he is a supporter of non-predatory tariffs.

The United States and China’s Agreement

In a joint statement from the United States and China posted on the White House’s official website, the two countries agreed to lower reciprocal tariffs on each other by 115% for 90 days. This means that the United States will temporarily lower its overall tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, as noted in an ABC 12 report. China, on the other hand, will also lower its tariffs on American goods from 125% to 10%.

Advertisement

The talks were led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, as per the joint statement. Bessent shared his thoughts about the matter in a comment in Geneva. “The consensus from both delegations is neither side wants to be decoupled, and what have occurred with these very high tariffs … was an equivalent of an embargo, and neither side wants that. We do want trade. We want more balance in trade. And I think both sides are committed to achieving that,” he said. 

A spokesperson from China’s Commerce Ministry also shared a statement about the matter. As per the spokesperson, the deal was an “important step by both sides to resolve differences through equal-footing dialogue and consultation, laying the groundwork and creating conditions for further bridging gaps and deepening cooperation.”

Continue Reading

Trending