When Modi meets Musk: Business and banter at Blair House

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Tesla CEO and Donald Trump’s close ally, Elon Musk, at Blair House in Washington, DC, on Thursday—just hours before his high-stakes discussions with the US President.

The tech billionaire, who now heads the Department of Government Efficiency ( Doge ) in the Trump administration, engaged in a conversation on subjects he’s deeply passionate about—space, mobility, technology, and innovation, the PM said.

But beyond the serious business, the meeting had its share of heartwarming moments. Musk arrived with three of his children at the Blair House, adding a personal touch to the high-profile exchange. PM Modi was also seen handing out gifts and chatting with two of Musk’s toddlers, while the third sat comfortably beside him.

What was discussed in the Musk-Modi meeting? What impact can it have going ahead? Here’s a closer look.

PM Modi’s ‘very good’ meeting with Elon Musk

PM Narendra Modi said that he had a “very good meeting” with tech mogul Elon Musk.

“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’,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

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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

Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) under President Donald Trump, has been tasked with implementing government spending cuts in the US.

The meeting, held at Blair House , was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.

According to an official statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Modi and Musk explored ways to strengthen collaboration between India and the US in innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development.

“Their discussion also touched on opportunities to deepen cooperation in emerging technologies, entrepreneurship, and good governance,” the PMO stated.

This comes as Musk’s SpaceX-owned Starlink has been eager to launch satellite broadband services in India, but regulatory delays have hindered its progress.

What was in Modi’s goody bag for Musk’s children?

One of the most talked-about moments of the meeting was Musk’s children joining him. The tech billionaire was accompanied by X, Azure, and Strider (twins), along with his partner, Shivon Zilis.

Zilis, the director of Musk’s brain-chip startup Neuralink, has Indian roots—her mother, Sharda N, is Indian, while her father, Richard Zilis, is Canadian. She has had an impressive career, previously serving as a project director at Tesla, an advisor to Sam Altman’s OpenAI, and a founding member of Bloomberg Beta’s investment team.

Photos from the meeting showed Musk’s children sitting beside him, drawing smiles from Indian officials as they interacted with everyone in the room. PM Modi took the opportunity to gift the children a goody bag containing three books—The Crescent Moon by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, The Great RK Narayan Collection, and Panchatantra by Pandit Vishnu Sharma.

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

In images shared by the Prime Minister, Musk’s children were seen engrossed in the books. “It was also a delight to meet Mr Elon Musk’s family and to talk about a wide range of subjects," PM Modi posted on X.

According to reports, Musk, one of the world’s richest men, is a father of 12. His first child with ex-wife Justine Musk tragically passed away at just 10 weeks old due to sudden infant death syndrome. The couple later had five children through IVF—twins Griffin and Vivian, followed by triplets Saxon, Damian, and Kai—before divorcing.

Musk then welcomed three children with musician Grimes, naming them X Æ A-12 (nicknamed X), Exa Dark Sideræl (known as Y), and Techno Mechanicus (nicknamed Tau).

A gift from Musk to Modi

The exchange of gifts wasn’t one-sided. During the meeting, Musk presented PM Modi with a hexagonal heat shield tile from SpaceX’s Starship flight test 5 which took place in October last year. The object was engraved with the words: “Starship flight test 5, October 12, 2024.”

A picture of the unique gift was shared online.

🚨 #BREAKING :

Tesla & SpaceX CEO Elon Musk gifts PM Narendra Modi a 'heat shield tile' 🛡️ that flew on the 5th test flight of Starship 🎯 pic.twitter.com/NxVUVHmGcc

— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) February 14, 2025

A green signal for Musk’s business in India?

The meeting between PM Modi and Elon Musk could signal a more favourable environment for Musk’s ventures in India, especially for Tesla and SpaceX’s Starlink.

Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, has been keen to enter the Indian market for years, but its application for a commercial licence is still under review by the Department of Telecommunications.

The Indian government seems to prefer an administrative allocation of spectrum over an auction-based system. This has led to pushback from Indian telecom operators, who argue that granting spectrum directly to Starlink would be unfair, given the hefty amounts they’ve already paid in competitive bidding. Despite this, Musk remains optimistic about launching the broadband service in India.

Tesla, too, has faced challenges in entering the Indian market. The automaker has shown a keen interest in selling electric vehicles (EVs) in India, but high import duties have stood in the way.

With Starlink’s future in India still uncertain and Tesla’s ambitions depending on policy changes, this high-profile meeting could be a turning point for Musk’s ventures, setting the stage for potential collaborations in the near future.

With input from agencies