WASHINGTON: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has announced that he was postponing his visit to India, during which he was meant to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Elon Musk announced the postponement of his visit on his social media platform X. He said, “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 last visited India in 2007.
As per media reports, Musk would have arrived on Sunday. He was scheduled to meet Modi and Indian aerospace companies. He was also expected to meet executives from several space startups in New Delhi.
The trip was to have included the announcement of plans for the electric vehicle (EV) maker to enter the South Asian market, Reuters has reported.
In New Delhi, Musk was expected to announce an investment of $2 billion to $3 billion, mainly to build a factory in India, after the Modi government announced a policy lowering high tariffs on imported cars if companies invest locally. Musk is awaiting Indian government regulatory approvals to begin offering his Starlink satellite broadband services in India.
Musk’s present business interest in India is limited to X, formerly known as Twitter. He has faced questions from free speech activists over his social media platform reportedly caving in to the Indian government’s demands to take down critical posts.
