Regulatory approvals for Starlink are in advanced stages and the company is expected to receive a licence soon

Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s India tour to last just 48 hours. Unveiling of plans of Starlink service in the country is expected during this visit. Some other mega announcements can also be expected from the billionaire. As per the media reports Musk will be in India on April 21 and 22 and he and his team will meet industry representativesand government officials. Musk will also call on PM Modi. “Looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India!”, Musk wrote on April 10 in a post on his social media platform X.

Modi and Musk last met in New York in June. Tesla for months lobbied to persuade India to lower import taxes on electric vehicles while it contemplated setting up a factory in the country. Last month, the government introduced a new EV policy drastically lowering import taxes to 15% from 100% on some models in case a manufacturer invests at least $500 million and establishes a factory too.

Musk is also expected to announce plans to start Starlink services here in India and it might offer satellite-based broadband services in the country. As per the media reports regulatory approvals for Starlink are in last stages and the company is hoping to receive a licence soon. Musk visit to India is scheduled just ahead of seven-phase Lok Sabha elections, starting April 19, in which Modi is widely expected winning an exceptional third term.

A Tesla investment announcement so close to the election would only boost the well-established business-friendly credentials of Modi, who has for years courted foreign companies to establish manufacturing units in India and create jobs. Tesla has also started production of right-hand drive cars at its German plant for export to India later this year, reported Reuters earlier this week.

In the interim, Bloomberg reported on April 12 that Tamil Nadu will pitch itself as a manufacturing site for Tesla Inc very aggressively in light of speculation building about the US Company’s planned investments ahead of Musk’s visit. “Tamil Nadu will be pitching for all opportunities of electric vehicle manufacturing from all global car majors,” T R B Rajaa, the state’s industry minister said, when enquired if Tesla was on his radar. He added that the TN has country’s “best electric vehicle policies and ecosystem”.