Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on two-day a US tour for strengthening bilateral ties, met Tesla CEO and DOGE chief (Department of Government Efficiency) Elon Musk at the Blair House in Washington DC on Thursday February 13. The PM’s meeting with the SpaceX CEO took place ahead of his scheduled talks with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
As per sources, PM Modi and Musk discussed strengthening collaboration between Indian and US entities in innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, technology, governance, economic reforms, and sustainable development. Their discussion also reportedly touched on opportunities to deepen cooperation in emerging technologies, entrepreneurship and good governance. They also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in science, technology, and business, in line with India’s expanding digital economy.
PM Modi might have discussed the entry of Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, reported Reuters. Though India’s government has backed Elon Musk and stated that the spectrum should be assigned and not auctioned, Starlink’s licence application is still under review.
India’s external affairs ministry stated that Musk and prime minister Modi discussed the opportunities to improve collaboration on emerging technologies, entrepreneurship and good governance between the two nations.
PM Modi’s X post on meeting Musk
Talking about his meeting with Musk, PM Modi posted on social media platform X, “Had a very good meeting with @elonmusk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation. I talked about India’s efforts towards reform and furthering ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’.”
Had a very good meeting with @elonmusk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about such as space, mobility, technology and innovation. I talked about India’s efforts towards reform and furthering ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.’ pic.twitter.com/7xNEqnxERZ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2025
PM Modi’s gift to Musk’s children
Elon Musk was accompanied by his partner Shivon Zilis, and their three children X, Strider and Azure. PM Modi presented books to Elon Musk’s children, which include ‘The Crescent Moon’ by Rabindranath Tagore, ‘The Great RK Narayan Collection’, and ‘Panchatantra’ by Pandit Vishnu Sharma. Photos shared on social media by the prime minister showed Musk’s children reading the books.
It was also a delight to meet Mr. @elonmusk’s family and to talk about a wide range of subjects! pic.twitter.com/0WTEqBaVpT
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2025
Elon Musk’s gift to PM Modi
Musk’s unique gift to PM Modi drew attention of netizens. During the meeting, Elon Musk gifted PM Modi a Starship hexagonal heatshield tile that flew on SpaceX’s Starship (SpaceX’s most powerful rocket system) flight test 5 which took place October last year. The object was engraved with the words, “Starship flight test 5, October 12, 2024.”
Musk’s choice of gift sparked speculation and excitement on social media, with many calling it a “space relic.” A section of netizens also suggested that the tile was a piece of cutting-edge aerospace technology.
