Elon Musk likely to meet chiefs of Indian space companies

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will likely meet representatives of Indian space companies during his visit to the country next week, according to media reports.

Earlier this month, the tech billionaire in a post on X.com confirmed his visit to India.

“Looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister @NarendraModi in India!” Musk said.

The Tesla CEO will reportedly meet PM Modi "in the week of April 22 in New Delhi".

As per media reports, prominent space startups including Dhruva Space, Skyroot Aerospace, Agnikul Cosmos, and Bellatrix Aerospace have received requests from the government for a meeting with Musk in the national capital.

Musk’s visit may also pave the way for SpaceX’s Starlink and Tesla’s entry into India.

Ahead of the visit, the satellite-based internet service Starlink has received tentative approval from the Ministry of Communications and is awaiting final clearance by the Home Ministry on some security issues.

Musk is also expected to make other big announcements on investments in the country between $2 billion to $3 billion.

India’s space sector has seen tremendous growth in the last 10 years. From just one registered startup in the space sector -- Dhruva Space from Hyderabad in 2012, the country now has close to 200 startups.

Together, these private space startups invested more than Rs 1,000 crore between April to December 2023.