PM Modi meets Elon Musk and his children; Tesla, Starlink expansion in India on the agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a two-day official visit to the U.S., met with tech mogul Elon Musk at the historic Blair House on Thursday. The highly anticipated discussion took an unexpected turn as Musk was accompanied by his three children—X, Strider, and Azure—adding a rare personal touch to the high-stakes engagement.

Visuals from the meeting, which has since gone viral on the internet, captured a candid exchange between Modi and the Tesla and SpaceX chief, with Musk’s children also part of the moment. While the specifics of their talks remain undisclosed, key topics are expected to have included innovation, space exploration, electric vehicles, and India’s rapidly expanding tech ecosystem.

Immediately after the meeting, PM Modi took to X to say that he has had a 'good meeting' with Musk.

"Had a very good meeting with @elonmusk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation. I talked about India’s efforts towards reform and furthering ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance,'" Modi wrote.

Musk has long expressed interest in expanding Tesla’s footprint in India, and with the country emerging as a major hub for electric mobility and aerospace advancements, the meeting is seen as a potential catalyst for deeper collaboration between Musk’s ventures and the Indian market.

According to a recent Reuters report, a major point of discussion could be Starlink’s long-delayed entry into India. Musk, now a pivotal figure in the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been vocal about his ambitions to bring SpaceX’s satellite internet service to the Indian telecom sector. However, regulatory hurdles have stalled its launch.

The Indian government is reportedly prioritising a resolution to Starlink’s licensing challenges, a move that could pit Musk’s interests against India’s telecom giant, Reliance Jio. While New Delhi favours direct spectrum allocation for satellite internet, Reliance has been pushing for auctions, arguing that foreign players like Starlink should not receive preferential treatment. In November, Jio formally urged India’s telecom regulator, TRAI, to mandate spectrum auctions, citing its $19 billion investment in spectrum purchases and concerns over competition in the broadband space.