Elon Musk's trip to India: Starlink approvals, Tesla factories and more on agenda

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is set to visit India as his businesses seek new markets in the world's most populous nation, with electric carmaker Tesla -- suffering a sales downturn in the United States -- reportedly scouting factory locations.

Another Musk-owned business, satellite internet operator Starlink, is set to receive initial approvals to operate in India, a government source told AFP.

Also likely to be on the agenda for the self-described "free speech absolutist" is the large number of content takedown orders India's government imposes on X, the social media platform he took over in 2022.

"Looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India!" Musk wrote on X last week without giving a date for the visit.

Indian media reports suggest the trip will begin as soon as Sunday and last two days, coming after months of aggressive courtship between the billionaire and Modi.

The two met last June in New York, after which Musk said Modi had pushed the entrepreneur to "make significant investments in India" -- something he said his companies intended to do.

Tesla is currently battling increased Chinese competition and a demand slump in the United States, with reports claiming the company plans to slash its workforce.

Musk, who has described himself as a Modi fan, also said India "has more promise than any large country in the world".

But India often struggles to attract foreign direct investment, even as multinational companies seek alternatives to China, and Musk's admiration has not yet translated into multibillion-dollar commitments.

India's steep import taxes for electric vehicles -- Musk once complained that they were among the "highest in the world" -- have prevented Tesla from making inroads in the absence of local manufacturing.

And in 2021, the communications ministry delivered a rare public rebuke to Starlink when it claimed the company had started "preselling" its services in India without a license to operate.

This year though, the government has