Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet Elon Musk, the billionaire who has emerged as a close and trusted ally of US President Donald Trump, during his visit to the White House on Thursday.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to meet other business leaders as well in his two-day visit, but the expectation has been the highest about Musk.
The Indian leader arrived in Washington D.C. late Wednesday. His meeting at the White House is scheduled for late afternoon on Thursday.
PM Modi and Musk have met several times. During a 2015 visit, the Prime Minister toured the Tesla facility in San Jos, and Musk gave him a personal task.
Their upcoming meeting will be different. Musk has come a long way since 2015, when he supported the Democratic Party. He has emerged as a close ally and trusted adviser of President Trump. In a concession from the President, Musk appeared in a joint news conference in the Oval Office on Tuesday with his son Xa and dominated the interaction, demonstrating the clout accorded to him by the President.
The billionaire has toyed with the idea of launching a more affordable model of the all-electric Tesla car in India. However, it’s not clear if he is still interested or would like to discuss something else.
Prime Minister Modi has in the past met American business leaders during every trip in an ongoing attempt to attract foreign investment in India. These meetings have sometimes taken place in bilateral settings or in a group.
Further details of his meeting with Musk are not available immediately. But industry sources confirmed the Prime Minister and the owner of Tesla and SpaceX will meet, and this meeting will be the first after Musk’s emergence as a close and trusted adviser to President Trump, who has entrusted him with the task of improving the efficiency of the federal government.
PM Modi will also meet with Musk, who oversees the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and focuses on slashing federal programmes and regulations. A US government official said the discussion with the world’s richest person is expected to centre on AI policy, Starlink’s expansion into India, and Tesla’s ability to open a plant in the country.
–IANS
