E-Paper
'Will visit India later this year': Elon Musk after speaking with PM Modi
Starlink, owned by Musk's SpaceX, awaits regulatory approvals in India after partnering with private telecom companies to launch its satellite internet services
World's richest man Elon Musk said he will be visiting India later this year and said it was an honour to speak with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Musk's announcement comes after he held a teleconference with Modi on Friday. The prime minister said they discussed matters of shared interests in technology, innovation, space and mobility domains.
Speaking about his call with Musk, Modi wrote on X, “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 met Musk during his official visit to the United States earlier this year in February. The SpaceX CEO was accompanied by his three children during the visit. According to the MEA, the two leaders had discussed about strengthening collaboration between Indian and US entities in innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development.
Musk is considered one of the most influential individuals in US president Donald Trump administration. He is spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is pursuing a legally contested move to slash government expenditure and reduce federal workforce.
The announcement of Musk's visit comes as his SpaceX-owned Starlink awaits regulatory approvals in India after partnering with private telecom companies, Jio and Airtel, to launch its satellite internet services. Earlier this week, the company's senior executives met commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal to discuss necessary approvals for the company’s domestic operations.
“Met a delegation from @Starlink, comprising of vice president Chad Gibbs & senior director, Ryan Goodnight. Discussions covered Starlink’s cutting-edge technology platform, their existing partnerships & future investment plans in India,” Goyal posted on X after Wednesday’s meeting.
