No Tesla factory? Satellites will do for now as Indonesia pivots ties with Elon Musk

SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk arriving at the I Gusti Ngurah Rai Bali International Airport on May 19. - PHOTO: REUTERS

JAKARTA (The Straits Times/ANN): The launch of billionaire Elon Musk’s internet service in Indonesia is the culmination of the archipelago’s multi-year courtship of the Tesla founder, which has seen its focus shift from electric vehicles (EVs) to satellites and sustainability.

The pivot in their relationship shows that while investment plans can sometimes fail to bear fruit, Indonesia remains flexible about other forms of collaboration with its partners, a sign of how eager the country is in transforming the economy and achieving higher development status.