Tesla chief Elon Musk has postponed a planned trip to India where he was to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and announce plans to enter the South Asian market, four people familiar with the matter say.

Tesla and Modi’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

After Reuters reported his India trip plans on April 10, the chief executive posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in India!”

In New Delhi, Musk was expected to announce an investment of $US2 billion ($A3.1 billion) to $US3 billion ($A4.7 billion), mainly to build a factory in India, after the government announced a policy lowering high tariffs on imported cars if companies invest locally.

He was also expected to meet executives from several space startups in New Delhi. Musk is awaiting Indian government regulatory approvals to begin offering his Starlink satellite broadband services in the world’s most populous country.

Musk’s planned Sunday arrival was to have come two days after the start of India’s national election, in which Modi is forecast to win a rare third term.

This post was originally published on Michael West.