Elon Musk postpones India visit, Election is the reason?

Tesla chief Elon Musk this morning said he has postponed his planned trip to India due to "very heavy Tesla obligations", a day before his visit was expected to begin. Musk, who owns Tesla and SpaceX, was to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit and announce investment plans for his businesses.

The world's richest man confirmed on X he has delayed his trip, but said he looks forward to visiting India later this year. This message indicates that Musk wants to ‘wait and watch’ the outcome of the general election being held in India. He would prefer to meet the new head of the Indian Government.

However, the SpaceX CEO tweeted, "Unfortunately, very heavy Tesla obligations require that the visit to India be delayed, but I do very much look forward to visiting later this year," 

Musk has to reportedly attend a crucial conference call on April 23 in the United States to answer questions about Tesla's first quarter performance.

Last week, Musk posted on X that he was "looking forward" to meeting PM Modi.

Musk, who also owns SpaceX, was expected to announce an investment of $2-3 billion to build a factory for entry-level cars amid the long-awaited Tesla Inc's entry into the Indian market. Recently, the government announced a policy lowering high tariffs on imported cars if firms invest locally. The billionaire entrepreneur was also expected to unveil plans to introduce Starlink, a satellite network that provides high-speed internet connection.

PM Modi has met Elon Musk twice before -- during a Tesla plant visit in 2015 and during his state visit to the US in 2023. In a recent interview, PM Modi said Musk is a supporter of India.