The petition was filed in the high court in Karnataka, in southwest India, where X, formerly known as Twitter, lost a similar case in 2023. The unexpected suit comes at a delicate time both for Musk, who is seeking new economic entryways into India, and for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is under growing pressure from the Trump administration over trade and immigration.
“This is no longer a single, simple issue about the interpretation of a specific section of law,” said Shashank Reddy, managing partner at tech-focused firm Evam Law & Policy. “It is a larger geopolitical issue.”
India has tightened its grip on online expression throughout Modi’s time in power, and has faced relatively little resistance – and even active co-operation – from American social media companies.
“This is the first aggressive clear action by a US tech actor in the last two years on the deteriorating censorship and digital authoritarian situation in India,” said Raman Chima, Asia policy director at Access Now, a digital rights group.
That the challenge comes from a powerful Trump ally won’t be lost on authorities in New Delhi, analysts said.
“While India would like to protect its strongman image, they would like to do it in a way that won’t upset the current American leadership, which they have made their high priority,” Reddy said.
A fraught history with Modi’s India
The Washington Post reported in 2023 on secretive meetings between Indian officials and US technology executives where they negotiated what kinds of speech would be permitted on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Twitter, under its previous ownership, was most vocal in pushing back. After India passed new regulations holding tech employees criminally liable for failing to comply with takedown requests, anti-terrorism police raided Twitter’s office in New Delhi. When Twitter challenged specific takedown orders, the Karnataka High Court ruled in the government’s favour.
Over time, the company increasingly bent to India’s censorship demands. After purchasing Twitter and rebranding it as X, Musk appeared even less willing to challenge the status quo – until now.
The new lawsuit cites hundreds of takedown demands in February from the railways ministry – whose minister also controls the technology ministry – some of which were related to a stampede that took place on train platforms heading to the Kumbh Mela, a major Hindu pilgrimage. The stampede embarrassed Modi’s Hindu nationalist Government, which had promised new safety measures this year after similar tragedies in the past.
Trade tensions
The lawsuit comes as India and the US are locked in negotiations over a trade arrangement, which New Delhi is hoping can head off new tariffs promised by Trump on April 2.
While India has already made concessions on goods like motorcycles and whiskey, Washington is pushing for broader tariff reductions, particularly on agricultural products. The Trump administration also wants India to increase defence purchases from the United States.
Bilateral relations have been further complicated by Trump’s immigration crackdown. In February, images of undocumented Indian migrants shackled aboard a US military plane went viral here and sparked widespread outrage.
Indian analysts said the lawsuit should be viewed as one part of a broader American political strategy.
“Given how difficult it is to distinguish between Musk and Trump, I think it should be seen in that context,” said Harsh Pant, vice-president at the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank.
The Americans, he said, “try to create a sense that they are willing to take certain risks, and therefore you need to be cognisant of how far they would be willing to go”.
Musk’s Indian ambitions
On his visit to Washington in February, Modi met with Musk, flanked by some of India’s most important officials. Soon after, Musk’s companies made significant inroads into India’s heavily regulated market.
Tesla inked deals on new showrooms in the country earlier this month. More unexpectedly, two of India’s largest telecom operators announced deals with Starlink, Musk’s satellite communications company, despite previous opposition from powerful Indian business figures.
“Keeping Musk happy seems to be a priority of the Indian Government over the last few weeks in terms of its commercial and diplomatic conversations in the United States,” said Chima.
In a recent podcast interview, Modi spoke generously about his relationship with Musk, which dates back to his tenure as chief minister. The meeting in Washington, he said, was “warm and friendly”.
But Indian corporate elites have been far more sceptical about Musk. At a business summit earlier this month, steel magnate Sajjan Jindal dismissed the billionaire’s Indian ambitions.
“He can’t be successful in this country,” he said. “Because we Indians are here.”
