Anything is possible with Donald Trump.
In India, in desi parlance they all say -- "Modi hae toh Mumkin hae".
Maybe, as of now one can say -- Since participation for tele talk was from the US side, why and whether Elon Musk had joined in would be best answered by Washington.
But this was really weird and a typical unheard off case.
Does this add to another set of controversies between PM Narendra Modi and President Trump?
In 2025, both the leaders repeatedly displayed 'differences' in the wake of launch of trade talks and the announcement of ceasefire of Operation Sindoor.
Reports say --
It is unclear why Mr. Musk was on the call or whether he spoke. His companies have taken on significant investment from sovereign wealth funds in countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Mr. Musk has also long coveted a greater commercial presence in India. And SpaceX, his private rocket company, has been considering an initial public offering later this year, which could be thrown into turmoil if global economic conditions worsen.
In March 2025, Elon Musk had secured a major win in India by signing two back-to-back deals to bring SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet services to the country.
“Jio will not only offer Starlink equipment in its retail outlets but will establish a mechanism to support customer service installation and activation,” SpaceX said.
Satellite connectivity remains in its early stage in India, the world’s most populous nation, many of whose rural poor still live in remote or hard-to-connect places. Success in the market, where costs are estimated to be higher than for broadband, will depend on pricing, according to Counterpoint.
The announcement of the SpaceX deals actually followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with Musk in Washington, D.C. in February 2025.
Musk has been trying to break into the Indian market for years.
His electric vehicle company Tesla has been planning to sell its cars in India since as early as 2017, but kept delaying its launch in the country as efforts to negotiate lower import duties with the local government stalled.
In 2025, Tesla also had signed a lease for a showroom in Mumbai to sell imported cars.
(Should India register any diplomatic protest because apparently there is a protocol violation.)
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor earlier said that during the call, the leaders highlighted the importance of ensuring the key waterway remains accessible amid rising tensions. PM Modi later described the conversation as a “useful exchange,” reiterating India’s support for de-escalation and an early return to peace.
The call came as Modi told Parliament that any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz is “unacceptable,” citing concerns over attacks on commercial vessels and instability along key shipping routes.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, he said India is pursuing diplomatic efforts to ensure the safe passage of its ships. In the Rajya Sabha, he warned the crisis has unsettled the global economy, disrupting trade routes and affecting supplies of fuel, gas and fertilisers.
The disruption to shipping has already triggered sharp rises in global energy prices and heightened fears of supply shortages in parts of Asia.
The New York Times noted that it is rare for private citizens to be included in calls between heads of state, where sensitive national security issues are often discussed.
Neither the White House nor Indian officials mentioned Musk’s participation in official readouts of the call. The White House declined to comment on the matter, while Musk did not respond to requests for clarification.
ends
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