Washington, Feb 13 : 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 later afternoon on Thursday.
PM Modi and Musk have met several times and the Prime Minister toured the Tesla facility in San Jose during a visit in 2015 and he was given a personal tour by Musk.
Their upcoming meeting will be different. Musk has traversed a long way from 2015 when he was a supporter of the Democratic Party. He has emerged as a close ally and trusted adviser of President Trump and, in a concession from the President, he 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. But it’s not clear if he is still interested or would like to talk about 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 have a one-on-one meeting with Musk, who is overseeing the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, with a focus on slashing federal programs and regulations. PM Modi’s 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 up a plant in the country, a US government official said. (With inputs from IANS)