Elon Musk- the CEO of Tesla has deferred his much-anticipated visit to India. The announcement came as a surprise to many, especially considering the high expectations surrounding his trip. Musk was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to New Delhi, where he was expected to unveil investment plans for the Indian market. He expressed regret at having to delay the visit but assured his Indian followers that he looked forward to rescheduling later in the year.
The billionaire’s decision has left many wondering about the impact on Tesla’s plans for India. Earlier this month, Musk made confirmations regarding his visit to India with a post on X, which quoted, “Looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister @NarendraModi in India.”
“Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year,” Musk responded to a post that stated that his proposed India visit on April 21-22 had been postponed as the reason could be that he needed to attend Tesla’s earnings call on April 23. the CEO of Tesla and the owner of social media site X said in a post on X that he is looking forward to coming to India later this year.
Elon Musk has also been in the headlines after Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes initiated an investigation against him for alleged obstruction of justice and also after Pakistan lifted a ban on his social media site X.
The Anticipation
Elon Musk’s visit generated significant buzz in India. Here’s what we know:
- Investment Plans: Musk was expected to announce a substantial investment of 2-3 billion dollars for setting up a Tesla factory in India. The central government’s recent electric vehicle policy, which offered import duty concessions to companies investing at least 500 million dollars, further fueled expectations.
- Starlink Project: Beyond Tesla, Musk’s visit was also anticipated to boost his ambitious Starlink project in India. Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet constellation, had reportedly received assurances from the Indian government. If operationalized, it would deepen the security partnership between India and the United States.
- Previous Interaction: Musk had met Prime Minister Modi during the latter’s visit to the United States in June last year. Discussions centered around Tesla’s entry into the Indian market and the establishment of a manufacturing facility.
Congress takes a jibe at BJP post the cancellation of Elon Musk’s visit
The postponement did not escape political commentary. The Congress party took a swipe at the Narendra Modi-led government, questioning the timing of Musk’s visit.
They found it peculiar that the Tesla CEO was coming to meet an outgoing prime minister.
The Congress General Secretary -Jairam Ramesh quipped that even Musk had now read the “writing on the wall.” \
He took to X to tweet, “It was odd that @elonmusk was coming all the way to India to meet an outgoing prime minister. He too has now read the writing on the wall and decided to put off his visit.”
“The INDIA government will promote electric vehicles even more aggressively — I myself am a user of one!” he continued.
