Elon Musk ‘a fan of Modi’, may bring Starlink internet to India soon

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day state visit to the United States, met Tesla co-founder and Twitter CEO, Elon Musk, in New York on Tuesday. Calling himself a “fan of Modi”, Musk added that he was planning to visit India soon, with possible investments from Tesla or Starlink on the card.  

A significant part of the meeting revolved around Musk’s potential investment in India. Musk hinted at bringing SpaceX subsidiary internet provider, Starlink, to India soon. “The Starlink Internet, which I think can be incredibly helpful for sort of remote or rural villages where they perhaps either may have no access to the Internet, or the Internet is very expensive and slow.”

Musk briefed PM Modi on Tesla's plans to establish a manufacturing base in India, which would allow for the localisation of electric vehicle production, thereby aligning with the Indian government's initiative to bolster its electric vehicle sector. 

A fan of PM Modi

This was not the first meeting between PM Modi and Musk, the two having met first in 2015 when the prime minister had visited Tesla’s factory in California.  "It was a fantastic meeting with the Prime Minister and I like him quite a lot. He visited our factory a few years ago. So, we have known each other for a while," Musk told reporters after the meeting.

"I am incredibly excited about the future of India. I think India has more promise than any large country in the world," he added.

Musk revealed that he was “a fan of Modi”. He said that the Prime Minister “really cares about India because he is pushing us to make significant investments in India.” 

Great meeting you today @elonmusk! We had multifaceted conversations on issues ranging from energy to spirituality. https://t.co/r0mzwNbTyN pic.twitter.com/IVwOy5SlMV

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2023

Beyond electric vehicles

Beyond the electric vehicle market, Musk expressed interest in the vast potential for sustainable energy in India, including solar power and battery packs. This points towards a broader vision for Tesla's footprint in India, which could extend beyond electric vehicles to encapsulate renewable energy infrastructure. Musk's mention of bringing SpaceX's Starlink internet services to rural areas of India further underscores his broad ambitions for the South Asian market

Musk’s previous forays 

Musk has been trying to bring Tesla to India for several years, but the plans never came to fruition. The world’s richest billionaire had previously stated that he wanted the EV major to be present in India by 2021, but wanted reduced import duties or incentives. On the other hand, the Indian government wanted Tesla to set up manufacturing operations in India first and then sell vehicles as part of its wider ‘Make in India’ push. 

Musk had also sought to bring his Starlink, satellite based broadband to the country, having registered Starlink in 2021 and even hiring executives to run the business. The company had even begun taking pre-orders and booking for its Starlink modules, before the government stepped in to stop the company from continuing its operations as it had no license to operate in India. 

Musk will be once again looking to bring either Tesla or Starlink, or perhaps both, to Indian shores. "We do not want to jump the gun on an announcement but I think it is quite likely that it will be a significant investment in our relationship with India," the Tesla CEO said.

Starlink’s current availability 

The satellite-based broadband provider is currently available in over 50 countries, including the US, most of Europe, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and a significant portion of South America. The company says its services are currently pending regulatory approval in India.