Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a phone conversation on Friday with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, focusing on potential collaborations in technology and innovation between India and the United States. This conversation comes as Tesla is exploring avenues to enter the Indian electric vehicle (EV) market.
The discussion touched on various topics, continuing from their earlier meeting in Washington, D.C., earlier this year. It emphasized the increasing alignment between India’s rapidly developing tech landscape and Musk’s innovations in space exploration and electric vehicles.
On X, PM Modi shared insights from the call, saying, “I spoke with Elon Musk today, and we revisited many points from our earlier meeting in Washington D.C. We discussed the great potential for cooperation in technology and innovation. India remains committed to strengthening its partnership with the US in these areas.”
PM Modi had previously met with Elon Musk in February during his visit to the US, where Musk was accompanied by his children – X, Strider, and Azure. During that meeting, Musk presented PM Modi with a hexagonal heat shield tile from SpaceX’s Starship.
The timing of their latest conversation aligns with reports that Tesla is preparing to make its debut in India by shipping several thousand electric vehicles to Mumbai. These vehicles are expected to be sold in major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore by the third quarter of this year, according to sources familiar with the plans.
Tesla’s anticipated entry into India also comes at a time when discussions between India and the US over import duties are gaining traction, which will likely influence Tesla’s long-term strategy in the country. This follows an earlier meeting between PM Modi and Musk in Washington, which reportedly reignited interest in Tesla’s plans for India. Since then, Tesla has started recruiting for positions related to showrooms and deliveries in the country.
