Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet Elon Musk during his US trip first time after the Tesla CEO took over Twitter.

Prime Minister Modi had met Musk in 2015 during his visit to the Tesla Motors factory in California. Musk acquired Twitter in 2022.

Tesla had been looking to set up a manufacturing unit in India

Last month, senior executives from Tesla held meetings with officials from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and Ministry of Heavy Industries in New Delhi.

The Tesla team engaged in a series of meetings with officials from the ministries and expressed "serious interest" in the Indian market as a potential destination for electric vehicles, CNBC TV-18 reported citing a source aware of the matter.

During an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Elon Musk said Tesla was asked if Tesla was interested in the Indian market. "Absolutely," he responded and added that Tesla is expected to finalise a location for its India factory by the end of the year.

As per government sources, the Prime Minister of India will have meetings with over two dozen thought leaders from various fields during his visit to New York, reported NDTV.

These leaders include Nobel laureates, economists, artists, scientists, scholars, entrepreneurs, academics, and experts from the health sector.

The purpose of these interactions, according to sources, is for the Prime Minister to gain insights into the developments in the United States and explore potential collaborations.

Among the individuals the Prime Minister is scheduled to meet, in addition to Elon Musk, are author and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, economist Paul Romer, statistician Nicholas Nassim Taleb, and investor Ray Dalio.

Other notable personalities on the list include Indian-American singer Falu Shah, author and researcher Jeff Smith, former US trade representative Michael Froman, diplomat Daniel Russel, and defense expert Elbridge Colby.

The Prime Minister will also meet physician and Nobel laureate Dr. Peter Agre, healthcare expert Dr. Stephen Klasko, and Indian-American businesswoman and artist Chandrika Tandon.

The Prime Minister's visit to the US is a prestigious State Visit, a distinction reserved by Washington DC for the closest of allies.

The itinerary includes an address to a joint session of the US Congress, meetings with business leaders and Indian expats, and a state dinner at the White House hosted by US President Joe Biden.

Giving a boost to trade and defence ties will be key focus areas during this significant trip.