Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in Washington was more than just a diplomatic exchange—it underscored India’s growing role in global technological collaboration. The two leaders, who previously met in 2015, discussed advancements in space exploration, electric mobility and governance efficiency.

During their conversation, Musk presented Modi with a unique artifact—a heatshield tile that had flown on SpaceX’s Starship Flight Test 5 in October 2024. The hexagonal ceramic tile, designed to withstand the intense heat of atmospheric re-entry, symbolizes the technological strides being made in space travel.

In a cultural gesture, Modi gifted Musk’s children three classic Indian literary works: The Crescent Moon by Rabindranath Tagore, The Great RK Narayan Collection and Panchatantra by Pandit Vishnu Sharma. Images from the meeting showed Musk’s children engrossed in the books, highlighting an exchange that went beyond technology into shared intellectual heritage.

Reflecting on the meeting, Modi posted on X, “Had a very good meeting with Elon Musk in Washington DC. We discussed various issues, including those he is passionate about—space, mobility, technology, and innovation. I talked about India’s efforts towards reform and furthering ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.'”

The meeting comes at a time when India is expanding its footprint in space technology and electric mobility, positioning itself as a crucial partner in global innovation.