New Delhi, March 28: The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed Saturday that a recent telephonic conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump remained strictly between the two heads of state. This statement follows reports suggesting a private citizen joined the high-level diplomatic exchange.
“We have seen the story,” the Ministry of External Affairs stated in an official release. “The telephone conversation on 24 March was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump only.”
The clarification arrived after the New York Times reported that Tesla CEO Elon Musk participated in the Tuesday call. The newspaper suggested that Musk’s presence represented a rare instance of a private individual joining a formal discussion between world leaders, particularly one centered on the volatile situation in West Asia.
Diplomatic officials noted that the dialogue served as a platform for an exchange of views regarding regional stability. While the U.S. media report claimed Musk’s involvement signaled a shift in his personal standing with the American administration, the Indian government maintained that the interaction was a bilateral matter.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed the strength of the partnership between the two leaders during a Friday briefing. She described the interaction as productive but did not confirm the presence of third parties.
“President Trump has a great relationship with Prime Minister Modi, and this was a productive conversation,” Leavitt declared when asked about the reported involvement of the tech billionaire.
The underlying report by the New York Times, citing U.S. officials, argued that such participation would indicate a stabilization of ties between Trump and Musk. This follows a period of public distance after Musk’s departure from a previous government role involving federal workforce efficiency. Despite these claims, the MEA asserted that the official record of the call includes only the Prime Minister and the President.
