MUMBAI (Bloomberg): Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk indicated he’ll visit India later this year after speaking yesterday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, signaling potential progress in the electric-car maker’s long-pending push into the world’s most populous country.
He flagged the travel plans in a post on his social media platform X on Saturday. The billionaire entrepreneur had been due to visit India a year ago, but postponed that trip at the last minute, citing pressing issues at Tesla at the time.
A trip this year would come at a pivotal moment for the billionaire entrepreneur, whose companies Tesla, Starlink Inc. and X face mounting challenges, globally and in India.
Tesla has been losing market share to rivals, due in part to aggressive pricing by the likes of Chinese EV powerhouse BYD Co. and Musk’s closeness to US President Donald Trump, which has alienated certain customer segments and made Tesla a more polarizing brand.
The US company has also taken a hit from an escalating tariff war, which has prompted it to stop taking orders in China for Model S sedans and Model X sport utility vehicles - both of which are imported from the US.
As the EV landscape becomes more competitive, Tesla is in urgent need of new markets, and India - with its burgeoning middle class and a government pushing clean mobility - is an obvious target.
Tesla has long wanted to enter India, but disagreements over import duties and local manufacturing commitments have stalled progress.
Meanwhile, Musk is advancing his other ventures in India. Starlink, Musk’s satellite internet business, recently announced partnerships with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio.
The partnerships could help bring satellite-based broadband to underserved rural areas, aligning with the Indian government’s broader digital inclusion agenda.
Still, Musk’s relationship with Indian authorities remains complicated. X, formerly known as Twitter, is locked in a dispute with the Indian government over content moderation.
-- ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
