Elon Musk Delays India Visit, Citing Tesla Commitments
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has announced the postponement of his planned visit to India, citing pressing obligations at Tesla as the reason for the delay.
Scheduled for next week, Musk’s visit to India was highly anticipated, with expectations of meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussions regarding Tesla’s potential factory in the country.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Musk expressed regret over the delay, citing “very heavy” obligations at Tesla. However, he expressed optimism about visiting India later in the year.
Musk had previously expressed his eagerness to meet Prime Minister Modi during his visit. Additionally, he intended to engage with leaders of Indian space technology startups, including Pawan Chandana, co-founder of Skyroot Aerospace.
Reports from Reuters and the Financial Times suggested that Musk’s visit was poised to coincide with announcements of significant investments in India, potentially amounting to $2 billion to $3 billion, primarily directed towards the establishment of a new Tesla factory.
Originally planned amidst India’s ongoing national election, which commenced on Friday, Musk’s visit would have overlapped with the world’s largest democratic exercise. With an estimated 960 million eligible voters in a population of 1.4 billion, the election is expected to span over a month. Prime Minister Modi is widely anticipated to secure a third consecutive term in office.
While Musk’s visit has been postponed for now, anticipation remains high for his eventual arrival in India and the potential implications for Tesla’s presence in the country’s burgeoning automotive market.
