Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated the scientists involved in the Mission Shakti programme which was successfully accomplished today with the test of an anti-satellite missile.

In a video address to the scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the PM said that their efforts have bore fruit. He also explained why it is necessary for a peace-loving country to be the most powerful.

“You have given this message to the world that India is not less than anyone,” he said.

“He who doesn’t think of harming anyone, if he becomes weak then the powers which want to harm others will keep giving birth to evil,” he said referring to rouge nations and powers which support terrorism.

“Thus the one who doesn’t think of harming anyone has to become the most powerful,” the PM added underlining the significance of the ASAT test which made India the fourth country to have a capability to take out enemy satellites in space.

The PM said that it will be a matter of pride if every sector in the country can Make in India.

“It would be a matter of pride it every sector can have a made in India and Make in India.

Earlier today, the PM addressed the nation to announce the success of the mission.

“India has registered its name as a Space Power today. Only three countries – US, Russia and China – had this capability. India is now the fourth country that has achieved this feat. There cannot be anything bigger than this matter of pride for all Indians,” the PM said.

Read More | Mission Shakti a major success, India now an elite space power: PM Modi

The PM said that an indigenously-built anti-satellite (ASAT) missile successfully destroyed a target satellite in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) meaning that the country now has the ability to destroy any enemy satellite in space.

Called Mission Shakti, the entire operation from the firing of the missile to the destruction of the target located 300 kilometres away took just three minutes.

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“Our anti-satellite missile destroyed the target in just 3 minutes. Mission Shakti was a very tough operation. This involved a very high degree of technical expertise. The scientists met all the parameters and objectives related to the mission,” he said while congratulating all who were involved in the mission.