Elon Musk, a tech entrepreneur, is scheduled to travel to India to explore new business opportunities in the most populated country in the world. Tesla, an electric car manufacturer, is apparently looking for factory locations as it experiences a decline in sales in the US.
According to a government source who spoke to AFP, Starlink, a company controlled by Elon Musk, is expected to get preliminary approvals to operate in India.
The numerous content takedown orders that India’s government applies on X, the social media company he took over in 2022, are also probably on the self-described “free speech absolutist”‘s agenda.
“Looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India!” Musk wrote on X last week without giving a date for the visit.
According to rumors in Indian media, the billionaire and Modi have been pursuing one other aggressively for months. It is possible that the trip may start on Sunday and last for two days.
Following their June meeting in New York, Musk said that Modi had pressured the businessman to “make significant investments in India,” something he claimed his firms were planning to do.
A decline in American demand and heightened competition from China are now plaguing Tesla, which is reportedly considering cutting staff.
Musk added that India “has more promise than any large country in the world” and himself as a supporter of Modi.
Although multinational corporations are looking for alternatives to China, India frequently fails to draw foreign direct investment, and Musk’s admiration has not yet resulted in multibillion-dollar pledges.
India’s high import tariffs on electric cars When local manufacturing was lacking, Musk once bemoaned that the fact that they were among the “highest in the world” was keeping Tesla from gaining traction.
Additionally, Starlink received a rare public scolding from the communications ministry in 2021 after it was alleged that the business had begun “preselling” its services in India without a license to do so.
