Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a meeting with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk during his visit to the U.S., where they discussed topics such as space, mobility, technology, and innovation. This meeting comes after a previous interaction in New York in 2023, where Musk expressed confidence in bringing Tesla to India at the earliest opportunity. Musk, appointed by Trump to lead a new U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, met with Modi amidst uncertainty from Trump about the purpose of their meeting, speculating that Musk may be interested in doing business in India.

The discussions between Modi and Musk focused on strengthening collaboration between Indian and U.S. entities in areas like innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development, as well as entrepreneurship and good governance. Musk, an admirer of Modi, aims to introduce his Starlink satellite internet service to the Indian market, although regulatory challenges and opposition from local telecom companies have delayed its launch. India’s satellite broadband market, dominated by companies like Reliance Jio, presents an opportunity for Musk’s Starlink to expand, especially considering the need to provide affordable internet access to a significant portion of the population.

In addition to the satellite broadband sector, Musk’s Tesla also aims to enter the Indian automobile market, which has been hindered by high import duties. Despite the challenges, India’s push towards increasing electric vehicle adoption by 2030, along with new policies supporting foreign carmakers committing to local manufacturing, could pave the way for Tesla’s entry into the market. Overall, the interactions between Modi and Musk signal potential collaborations in technology, innovation, and sustainable development between India and the U.S.