Meeting the President and Elon Musk, Modi’s first US visit after Trump’s return sparks key talks on semiconductor trade and AI while expanding Starlink and Tesla’s potential in India’s market amidst regulatory hurdles.
The statement was made during a press conference following Modi’s meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington. Modi highlighted key areas of collaboration, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and the development of robust supply chains for essential minerals.
On the same day, Elon Musk arrived at Blair House in Washington for another significant bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking the latter’s first visit to the US since Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
A key topic of discussion between Modi and Musk was reportedly the expansion of SpaceX’s satellite broadband service, Starlink, into India. The Indian government is keen on integrating Starlink into its digital infrastructure, although regulatory challenges persist.
As per the Economic Times, India has expressed support for Musk’s view that satellite spectrum should be assigned rather than auctioned, aligning with Starlink’s global strategy. However, the company’s licence application is still under review, with Musk reportedly willing to address security concerns, including the localisation of data storage.
India’s regulatory scrutiny on Starlink intensified after the seizure of two of its devices in sensitive areas, which halted the service in December.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s potential involvement in India’s electric vehicle (EV) market remained ambiguous in the discussion. Musk has previously criticised India’s high import duties on EVs.
According to a Reuters report, talks could focus on increasing India’s role in Tesla’s supply chain, particularly in sourcing EV components, though policy changes would be necessary to address Musk’s concerns regarding tariffs.
Modi’s meeting with President Trump also focussed on trade policies, with Trump having recently raised the issue of “reciprocal” tariffs on Indian goods.
Trump praised India’s recent move to lower tariffs on US goods and reaffirmed his goal of reaching a fairer trade agreement between the two nations. He also suggested that increasing US oil and gas exports could help reduce the trade deficit with India.
