Indonesian leaders woo Elon Musk to build rocket facility and battery plant after Starlink launch

The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla was in Bali to launch Starlink’s satellite internet services in Indonesia

Musk’s visit came as Tesla faced stiff competition from Chinese and other electric vehicle makers in Southeast Asia

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US tech entrepreneur Elon Musk talks to the media after the launch of Starlink in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 12:00pm, 22 May 2024Updated: 12:19pm, 22 May 2024

The launch by billionaire Elon Musk of Starlink’s satellite internet services in Indonesia has spurred top politicians to woo the Tesla and SpaceX CEO to build an electric vehicle battery plant and a rocket launch pad in Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

On Sunday (May 19), Musk touched down on the resort island of Bali to launch Starlink, with the technology expected to transform health services in Indonesia’s remote areas.

The world’s second-richest man was greeted at the airport by Indonesian Coordinating Minister of Investment Luhut Pandjaitan, who urged Musk to invest further in the country through Tesla or SpaceX during their car ride from the airport.

“I also offered him a launch pad [for SpaceX’s rockets] in [the island of] Biak. I told him that Biak was very suitable because it was on the equator so [launching] costs could be cheaper,” Luhut told reporters on Sunday.

On Monday (May 20), Musk met outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the sideline of the World Water Forum, as well as with President-elect Prabowo Subianto. Widodo has long sought to attract Musk to invest in Indonesia.

Luhut told reporters on Monday: “We made an offer, is it possible to build an EV battery plant here, precursor cathode? And he [Musk] will consider it.”

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