New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday interacted via video call with Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who recently became the first Indian to enter the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the successful Axiom-4 mission. Shukla, along with three other astronauts, marked a significant milestone for India in international space exploration.
During the conversation, Modi expressed pride in Shukla’s achievement, calling it a historic moment for the nation. “Though you are far from India physically, you remain close to the hearts of 140 crore Indians,” the Prime Minister said. “Your name itself signifies good fortune—‘Shubh’. As you carry the Indian Tricolour into space, you also carry the aspirations of an entire nation.”
In response, Shukla described his space experience as surreal, stating that viewing Earth from orbit—especially India—was an emotional and proud moment. Modi shared a video of the interaction on social media platform X, lauding Shukla’s contribution to India’s growing space ambitions.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is aboard the International Space Station.
PM Modi says "Today, you are away from our motherland, but you are the closest to the hearts of Indians…Aapke naam mein bhi shubh hai aur aapki… pic.twitter.com/lWOk7AVlL3
— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2025