Tesla begins hiring AI hardware engineers in Bengaluru, signals deeper tech expansion in India

Tesla appears to be expanding its technical hiring footprint in India, with a social media post by EV industry watcher Sawyer Merritt stating that the company is recruiting AI Hardware Engineers in the country for the first time. 

The job opening in Bengaluru calls for an AI Hardware Engineer, signalling a potential expansion of its high-end artificial intelligence and semiconductor talent search in India as the company deepens its focus on custom silicon and machine-learning infrastructure. 

According to the job description, the role sits within the AI & Robotics division under Engineering and R&D and will contribute to building hardware that powers Tesla’s neural-network-driven technologies, including Full Self-Driving (FSD) and the Optimus humanoid robot programme. 

Focus on custom AI chips & compute architecture 

The posting says the AI Hardware team is working on “cutting-edge hardware innovation” and is responsible for designing advanced AI chips tailored to accelerate machine-learning capabilities. 

These efforts include creating custom silicon and optimised architectures aimed at improving computational efficiency and performance across Tesla’s automotive and energy products. 

The company notes that such work is central to maintaining leadership in AI-driven mobility and intelligent systems. 

Key responsibilities 

The role involves: 

• Designing, developing and testing hardware components and systems 
• Working with cross-functional teams to integrate hardware with software stacks 
• Building prototypes and proof-of-concepts 
• Using data analysis to influence design decisions 
• Producing technical documentation and performance reports 

The listing adds that it is a general application posting, meaning candidates may be evaluated by multiple teams within the AI Hardware department depending on expertise. 

Required skill sets 

Tesla is seeking candidates with degrees in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science or related fields, along with experience in areas such as: 

• AI accelerators and microarchitecture 
• Physical design, RTL, DFT and design verification 
• Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools 
• Logic design and synthesis techniques 
• Programming languages including C++, Python and MATLAB, alongside Linux-based development environments 

Strong knowledge of hardware design principles and the ability to collaborate across teams are emphasised as core requirements. 

Why it matters 

The emergence of this role suggests Tesla may be integrating Indian engineering talent more directly into its global AI hardware roadmap rather than limiting local hiring to operational or market-entry functions. AI hardware is a strategic priority for the company as it builds vertically integrated compute systems to support autonomy, robotics and large-scale neural-network training. 

While the scale of hiring is not yet clear, the posting points to a growing alignment between India’s semiconductor and embedded-systems talent base and Tesla’s ambitions in custom AI silicon.