Sharad Agarwal Takes Over as Tesla India Country Head Days After Classic Legends Exit

Sharad Agarwal, who two days ago left his position as Chief Business Officer of Classic Legends, a subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, will take over as Tesla India Country Head, according to a Bloomberg report. The veteran industry executive was at Classic Legends for just less than a year, having joined in November 2024. Prior to that, he served as Head, Lamborghini India from 2016 to 2024, and Head of Sales at Audi India for several years. 

Agarwal will be the first person within the country to lead India operations for Tesla, following the departure of former Country Head and board chairman Prashanth Menon, who quit unexpectedly in May this year after nine years with the company both in the USA and in India. While no official reason was announced, his exit came right as the company was gearing up for its official India launch this July, after years of uncertainty and delays. As per multiple reports, Tesla India operations have been handled by the company’s Asia region offices in the interim.

Tesla made a splash in the weeks leading up to its official July 15 launch, posting dozens of job profiles and acquiring multiple office spaces. The company opened its first Experience Centre in Mumbai followed soon by one in New Delhi, with plans announced for the third one in Bengaluru soon. One Supercharger location has so far been launched in Mumbai. 

However, Tesla sales in India have so far been slow, with only 600 orders received by September; a fraction of what the company had expected, according to Bloomberg. The company delivered approximately 60 cars to buyers within the promised Q3 2025 timeframe, including at least one celebrity sighting. 

The choice of Agarwal, with his luxury supercar background, indicates that the company could be refocusing its strategy in India. Its sole offering so far, the Model Y, is priced starting at ₹59.89 lakh (ex-showroom, before options) which puts it out of reach of many buyers. While anyone across India can buy a Model Y online, the company has so far said it will prioritise deliveries to a few major hubs – Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, and Gurugram.