On February 13, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk at the Blair House in Washington, D.C. During this meeting, Musk gifted PM Modi a hexagonal ceramic heatshield tile that flew on SpaceX’s Starship test flight 5 in October 2024. This exchange, which also included Modi gifting Musk’s children classic Indian books, symbolized a deeper engagement between India and Musk’s ventures in space, mobility, and technology.
Key Highlights
Gift Exchange
- Elon Musk’s Gift: A heatshield tile from Starship Flight Test 5 (October 13, 2024), engraved with its mission details.
- Significance of the Tile: Designed to protect spacecraft from extreme heat during atmospheric re-entry.
PM Modi’s Gift
Three Indian classic books,
- The Crescent Moon by Rabindranath Tagore
- The Great RK Narayan Collection
- Panchatantra by Pandit Vishnu Sharma
Meeting Details
- Date & Location: February 13, 2025, at Blair House, Washington, D.C.
Attendees
- PM Narendra Modi
- Elon Musk
- Musk’s partner Shivon Zilis
- Musk’s three children
Discussion Topics
- Space Exploration & Starship Developments
- Mobility & Electric Vehicles (EVs)
- Technology & Innovation
- India’s ‘Minimum Government, Maximum Governance’ reforms
Social Media Updates
- PM Modi shared photos of Musk’s children reading the gifted books.
- Musk and Modi’s meeting was highlighted on Modi’s social media, emphasizing discussions on key global technological advancements.
Previous Modi-Musk Interactions
- First Meeting: 2015 at Tesla’s facility in San Jose, where Musk gave Modi a personal tour.
- Ongoing Engagements: Collaboration in areas of EVs, space tech, and innovation.
Summary/Static | Details |
Why in the news? | PM Modi Receives Starship Heatshield Tile from Musk |
Event | Elon Musk’s meeting with PM Modi in Washington, D.C. |
Location | Blair House, Washington, D.C. |
Musk’s Gift | Heatshield tile from Starship Flight Test 5 |
PM Modi’s Gift | Three Indian classic books for Musk’s children |
Key Discussion Topics | Space, mobility, technology, governance reforms |
Significant Starship Milestone | Successful Super Heavy booster capture |
Social Media Engagement | Modi shared photos, praised discussions on X (Twitter) |
Previous Modi-Musk Meeting | 2015, at Tesla’s San Jose facility |