Three days after Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla began his journey to the International Space Station (ISS), Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to him via video call on Saturday, congratulating him on becoming the first Indian to hoist the national flag in space.
“Your name carries ‘Shubh’—auspiciousness—and your journey marks a Shubh Aarambh, the beginning of a new era,” said the Prime Minister. “Though we are speaking now, I carry with me the voices of 1.4 billion Indians—their pride, excitement, and emotion—as you unfurl our tricolour in the boundless expanse of space.”
Shukla expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister and praised his leadership for empowering young Indians to dream of becoming astronauts—a goal that once felt out of reach.
“When I was a child, I could never have imagined becoming an astronaut. But today, under your leadership, India is enabling young people not only to dream big but also to achieve those dreams. I feel deeply honoured to represent my country in space,” said Shukla during the nearly 20-minute interaction with the Prime Minister from 400 km above Earth, aboard the ISS.
He also described the surreal experience of witnessing 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets each day, as the ISS orbits the planet at breathtaking speed. “We don’t feel it onboard, but we’re travelling at 28,000 kilometres per hour,” he said. “It’s a powerful reminder—just like our spacecraft, India too is moving swiftly into the future.”
During the interaction, the Prime Minister remarked that while Shukla might be floating in zero gravity, he remained deeply grounded in spirit. In a light-hearted moment, he asked whether Shukla had shared the Gajar ka Halwa he brought along with his fellow astronauts.
Shukla laughed and responded, “Yes, PM sir! I brought Gajar ka Halwa, Moong Dal Halwa, and Aam Ras as a taste of home. I wanted to share the richness of India’s culinary heritage with my international crewmates. We all sat together and enjoyed it. They are now even more excited to visit India and try these dishes again—on Earth!”
Earlier this week, Shukla made history by becoming the first Indian to set foot aboard the ISS as part of the U.S.-led private spaceflight mission Axiom-4, operated by Axiom Space in collaboration with SpaceX and NASA.
The Axiom-4 mission aims to strengthen international cooperation in space exploration and development. Though its launch faced multiple delays due to technical issues with the ISS, the mission is widely regarded as a major milestone for India’s growing space ambitions.
Originally scheduled to launch from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on June 11, the flight was postponed due to a liquid oxygen leak. It ultimately lifted off successfully on Wednesday, paving the way for Shukla’s historic journey.