Modi speaks to Musk as India seeks Starlink internet

​​​​​​​By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to US tech billionaire and political figure Elon Musk about the “immense potential for collaboration” in technology and innovation, with Musk's satellite internet provider now on track to cover the South Asian nation.

“Spoke to Elon Musk and talked about various issues, including the topics we covered during our meeting in Washington DC earlier this year,” Modi wrote on X.

He said India remains “committed to advancing our partnerships with the US in these domains.”

In addition to owning social media platform X, electronic vehicle company Tesla, and satellite internet provider Starlink, Musk is also an ally to international right-wing causes, a stance that has drawn controversy in both the US and Europe, and the top campaign donor to US President Donald Trump.

Trump is friendly with both Musk and Modi.

Friday’s talks followed Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal this week hosting a delegation from Starlink.

“Discussions covered Starlink's cutting-edge technology platform, their existing partnerships & future investment plans in India,” Goyal said on X.

In March, two Indian telecom giants signed pacts with SpaceX to bring Starlink Internet services to the South Asian nation. Both agreements are subject to SpaceX receiving its own authorizations to sell Starlink in India.

In February, during a US visit, Modi met Musk in Washington. Modi later described the meeting as “good” and said they had discussed space, mobility, technology, and innovation.