PM Modi meets Shubhanshu Shukla, astronaut gifts tricolour he carried into space

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s first astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS), at his official residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi. The meeting was a significant moment as Shukla shared valuable insights from his space mission, which will contribute to India’s ambitious human spaceflight program.

In a gesture laden with patriotic pride, Shukla presented the prime minister with the Indian national flag he personally carried to the International Space Station during his historic Ax-4 mission, symbolising the nation’s leap into a new era of human spaceflight.

During the meeting, Shukla conveyed the exhilaration and challenges



of his groundbreaking journey, which saw an Indian astronaut actively participate in long-duration space operations aboard the ISS as part of an international crew.

The scientific experiments executed on board, ranging from studies on human physiology in microgravity to new technologies for space agriculture have direct implications for India’s own Gaganyaan human spaceflight ambitions.

Prime Minister Modi, deeply moved by the symbolic gift, lauded Shukla not just for his technical achievements, but for inspiring a generation to dream beyond Earth.

Parliament on Monday paid glowing tribute to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla for his historic Ax-4 mission to the International Space Station.