Renowned entrepreneur Elon Musk, who owns Twitter and serves as CEO of Tesla, disclosed on Wednesday that he recently held discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the United States, exploring the potential for "significant investments" in India.
As one of the wealthiest individuals worldwide, Musk revealed that Modi had been urging him to make substantial financial commitments in India, an opportunity that he expressed interest in pursuing, albeit with a focus on determining the ideal timing for such ventures.
Over the past few years, New Delhi has eagerly welcomed prominent global investors and corporations, including tech giants such as Google and Apple. This hospitality stems from a strategic effort to reduce reliance on China within supply chains and leverage India's vast domestic market, particularly following the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Modi, having met with the tech mogul soon after arriving from India for a state visit, conveyed his satisfaction with their interaction in New York through a tweet. He referred to the encounter as a "great meeting" and emphasized that their conversations encompassed a wide range of topics, spanning from energy to spirituality. Modi's visit to the United States also includes an upcoming state dinner hosted by President Joe Biden.
In response, Musk expressed his admiration for Modi, declaring himself to be a fervent supporter. He further articulated his unwavering enthusiasm for India's future, asserting that the nation held greater promise than any other large country in the world.
However, Musk has faced scrutiny from advocates of free speech due to reports suggesting that Twitter complied with the Indian government's demands to remove critical posts. Detractors of India's government accuse it of eroding democratic values, citing instances of curtailed freedom of expression and insufficient measures to address attacks against journalists and minority communities.
Recently, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey acknowledged the sustained pressure the platform faced from Indian officials during his tenure. Indian Minister of Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, dismissed Dorsey's claims as baseless falsehoods while simultaneously accusing Twitter of repeated violations of local laws.
According to Twitter's records, India ranked fourth globally in terms of government requests for content removal, trailing behind Japan, Russia, and Turkey, during the previous year.
