Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, hosted a delegation of Indian business leaders at SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Texas during an event organised by the India Global Forum (IGF). The meeting, which included notable figures such as OYO Founder & Group CEO Ritesh Agarwal and author Amish Tripathi, covered a wide range of topics from technology to spirituality and interplanetary exploration.
Musk’s fascination with India’s cultural heritage became a focal point during the interaction. Author Amish Tripathi extended an invitation to Musk for the Maha Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest human gathering, and expressed hope that the tech magnate could attend.
“We discussed topics ranging from spirituality, consciousness, interplanetary travel, monetary policy, and engineering. And an invitation to the Maha Kumbh Mela! Hope he can make it!!” Tripathi shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Ritesh Agarwal provided insights into the evening, highlighting the exclusively vegetarian dinner served to the delegation. “One of the most incredible veg spreads at SpaceX. As a vegetarian, I loved it,” he posted on X. Agarwal also noted Musk’s strong emphasis on collaboration between governments and businesses, stating, “How the ability to work with the government can justice to prevail is very close to his heart.”
As part of the visit, the business leaders were gifted SpaceX-branded chopsticks, commemorating the successful return of the Super Heavy booster caught by “Mechazilla,” the metal arms of SpaceX’s launch tower. The delegation also witnessed the launch and booster recovery of SpaceX’s Starship Flight 7, providing a firsthand experience of the company’s cutting-edge advancements in space technology.
During the moderated discussion, Musk spoke highly of India, describing it as “one of the ancient civilisations and a very great and very complex one.” He underscored the potential for deeper collaboration between the United States and India, particularly in technology and space exploration.
“Things are trending positive. I’m certainly in favour of lowering trade barriers to increase commerce between the US and India,” Musk remarked. He also reflected on recent technological advancements, stating it “feels we are living in a simulation” and reaffirmed his belief that “the pursuit of interplanetary living is super critical.”
The event was attended by several prominent Indian business leaders, including Flipkart CEO Kalyan Raman, Aryaman Birla of Aditya Birla Group, and Nilesh Ved, Chairman of Apparel Group. A group photo shared by Agarwal captured the delegation alongside Musk at the SpaceX facility.
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