BMW Confident About Tesla’s Entry In Indian Market, Says Not Worried About Competition

BMW Group India saw a strong momentum in the first quarter of 2025, delivering 646 electric vehicles across its BMW and MINI brands—more than half of the 1,249 EVs it sold in all of 2024.

BMW CEO Vikram Pawah said that the automaker has successfully coexisted with Tesla in international markets, and India will be no different.

Source : BMW

With global EV giant Tesla preparing to enter the Indian market, BMW Group India is not just unperturbed—it’s optimistic. The company's Managing Director and CEO, Vikram Pawah, believes that increased competition will act as a catalyst for the electric vehicle (EV) segment rather than a challenge to existing players.

"I think the market should grow. Anytime there's more competition, we've seen that the market grows," Pawah said in a recent interview with PTI, when asked about Tesla’s potential impact on India’s evolving EV landscape.

According to Pawah, BMW has successfully coexisted with Tesla in international markets, and India will be no different. "In all the markets in the world, we coexist. We all coexist and you can see last year figures worldwide, we were the ones who were growing. We grew in electric sales worldwide. Not many manufacturers can talk about growth in electric vehicles," he noted.

Strong Start To 2025 And Bullish Outlook

BMW Group India saw a strong momentum in the first quarter of 2025, delivering 646 electric vehicles across its BMW and MINI brands—more than half of the 1,249 EVs it sold in all of 2024. With this  performance, the group is holding steady to its projection of 15 per cent of its total India sales coming from electric vehicles this year.

Currently, EVs make up 17 per cent of BMW Group India’s total sales, indicating that it may even surpass its target. “Our target was 15 per cent of total sales to come from EVs in 2025 and we will exceed it. If we get to 20 per cent, let's see but 15 per cent was our target. We are happy with that and we are on track,” Pawah added.

In the broader picture, BMW’s global EV performance also reflected positive growth. In 2024, the company sold 4,26,594 fully-electric vehicles, posting a 13.5 per cent increase in BEV sales. Both BMW and MINI reported double-digit growth, with 3,68,523 and 56,181 units sold, respectively.

ICE Still In The Mix As New Models Roll Out

Despite the EV push, BMW is also gearing up to launch new internal combustion engine (ICE) models. One of its most popular offerings, the BMW X3, is set to arrive in India during the second quarter of 2025. This is expected to boost the share of ICE vehicle sales, and the company is factoring that into its overall sales strategy.

Meanwhile, signs of Tesla’s imminent entry are becoming clearer. In February, the American EV maker began hiring for roles in India, including business operations analysts and customer support specialists.

For BMW Group India, however, the message is clear—competition is welcome, growth is on track, and the EV market has room to expand.