PM Modi holds talks with Elon Musk

New Delhi, April 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he had a conversation with tech billionaire Elon Musk, revisiting themes from their earlier February 2025 meeting in Washington DC and reaffirming India’s commitment to deepen technological and innovation partnerships with the United States.

“Spoke to @elonmusk and talked about various issues, including the topics we covered during our meeting in Washington DC earlier this year. We discussed the immense potential for collaboration in the areas of technology and innovation. India remains committed to advancing our partnerships with the US in these domains,” Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The conversation comes amid growing anticipation over Musk’s plans to expand his ventures particularly Tesla and Starlink into the Indian market. During Modi’s official state visit to the U.S. he had met with Musk to discuss opportunities in electric mobility, satellite internet, and space collaboration.

Musk had described India as a “natural destination” for Tesla’s future manufacturing and sales plans, though progress has been hindered by policy hurdles, particularly India’s high import tariffs on electric vehicles. Meanwhile, his satellite internet venture, Starlink, has inched closer to a formal launch in India through recent partnerships with telecom giants Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, pending regulatory approvals.

The government has shown renewed interest in facilitating such high-tech collaborations, aligning with its broader goals of digital inclusion, sustainable mobility, and technological self-reliance.