Tesla Inc. has appointed Sharad Agarwal, former head of Lamborghini India, as its new country head, marking a major shift in its strategy to strengthen its presence after a muted start to sales.

Agarwal will oversee Tesla’s local operations and lead efforts to develop a homegrown strategy for the US-based electric carmaker, people familiar with the matter said.

He takes charge this week, becoming Tesla’s on-the-ground leader in India — a departure from the earlier structure where a small local team was managed remotely from China and other regional hubs.

The decision to bring in Agarwal, who had served as chief business officer at Mahindra & Mahindra’s Classic Legends, reflects Tesla’s intent to target luxury buyers and build brand momentum before chasing mass-market volumes.

Agarwal is a veteran of India’s luxury automotive sector.

During his near-decade stint at Lamborghini India, he helped the Italian supercar brand expand its reach beyond major metros to more than 60 cities, with smaller markets accounting for about a quarter of total sales.

Tesla’s India journey remains challenging. The company received over 600 orders since starting sales in India from mid-July. By October, the number crossed over 800, reported Bloomberg. Tesla’s India sales were roughly equivalent to its global sales every four hours.

The slow uptake underscores the difficulties of selling high-end EVs in a price-sensitive market where import duties have pushed the entry-level Model Y above Rs 60 lakh ($67,575), well beyond the Rs 22 lakh price range of most electric cars sold in India.

The previous country head, Prashanth Menon, resigned in May, after which Tesla’s Southeast Asia Director Isabel Fan oversaw operations. Fan also supervised the launch of Tesla’s first two Indian stores in Mumbai and New Delhi earlier this year.