New Delhi, Apr 18 (EFE).- India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US magnate and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk, spoke on Friday and discussed the potential for collaboration between New Delhi and Washington in the areas of technology and innovation.
“Spoke to @elonmusk and talked about various issues, including the topics we covered during our meeting in Washington DC earlier this year. We discussed the immense potential for collaboration in the areas of technology and innovation,” the Indian prime minister said in a message posted on X, owned by Musk.
“India remains committed to advancing our partnerships with the US in these domains,” he added.
In February, the Indian prime minister, seen as a figure close to US President Donald Trump, visited Washington and met with Musk.
Modi and the DOGE director, who is also CEO of the automaker Tesla and the aerospace company SpaceX, then discussed topics such as space, mobility, technology and innovation, as well as artificial intelligence and sustainable development.
The Indian government has previously expressed interest in Tesla setting up a factory on its territory to manufacture electric vehicles under the “Made in India” policy.
However, the North American company said it preferred to explore the market before investing in the South Asian giant.
The conversation between Modi and Musk comes two days after Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal met in New Delhi with a delegation from the satellite internet company Starlink, also owned by the South African-born tycoon, to learn about the company’s future investment plans in the Asian country, where it is negotiating its entry.
Furthermore, the dialogue between Modi and Musk takes place in the midst of a pause in the reciprocal tariffs of 26 percent imposed by Trump on India, a major trading partner of Washington, a figure much lower than those imposed on other Asian countries.
Negotiating a free trade agreement between India and the US is now the goal of the Modi and Trump administrations, which aim to smooth over trade differences before the end of the tariff pause.
Between Apr. 21-24, US Vice President JD Vance will visit India, where he is scheduled to meet with Modi and other Indian officials. EFE
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