The billionaire and the man behind one of the fastest growing technology markets in the world, Mr Musk stated that he would postpone his visit to India. Now he has dispiritedly cancelled his planned trip to the country. Musk, who works with cooperating electric vehicles maker Tesla and the pioneering space agency SpaceX, had put his travel to India on the agenda for the upcoming week. But lately, he has mentioned that he will not be able to travel this year because of the recent important work projects he has been working on.
The take off of Musk’s visit was eagerly awaited as it was going to be his first to India. He had a meeting scheduled with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and also with the startup founders of India. The outcome of the visit would be to talk about the approaches of the Tesla company entering as well as collaborating with local space technology businesses. Musk had also cast an eye to win deeper insight and further venture into the Indian business environment.
As Musk tweeted this Saturday “India trip has been postponed indefinitely-for he is far too busy for his duties in Tesla”. He indicated that the visit would sooner or later take place later in 2022 but didn’t give any alternative date. Musk pulled out almost at the last minute, a development that was not welcome at all to the Indian authorities and the businessman who were there to meet him.
Some of the key meetings and discussions Musk was set to participate in included:
- Sitting down with PM Modi to discuss India’s EV policies and incentives for companies like Tesla. This was aimed at expediting Tesla’s launch in the large and growing Indian auto market.
- Visiting potential sites where Tesla could set up its planned electric car manufacturing plant. States like Karnataka, Gujarat and Maharashtra have been aggressively pitching to Tesla.
- Interacting with top domestic space startups working on rockets, satellites and other space technologies. Companies like Skyroot, Bellatrix and Agnikul were looking forward to networking with Musk.
- Learning about India’s booming tech startup ecosystem from leaders like Nandan Nilekani and exploring areas of collaboration between Indian firms and his own companies.
- Assessing regulations around high-speed internet projects using SpaceX’s Starlink satellites and how to launch services in India.
While no new dates have been confirmed yet, it is hoped Musk will reschedule the important visit sometime later in the year. Both government officials and startup founders believe his presence could be a big boost for India’s innovation economy. They will now have to wait a while longer to directly engage with one of the world’s most influential technology leaders and entrepreneurs.
