August 19, 2025 – New Delhi: After a successful 18-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Axiom-4 crew, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla returned to India and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their conversation marked a significant moment for India’s aspirations in space exploration, centered around the upcoming Gaganyaan mission and India’s proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035.
Shukla expressed confidence that India could lead a collaborative space station in the future, much like the International Space Station led by the US, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. He noted the global excitement around India’s Gaganyaan mission and shared that his crewmates had requested to attend its launch.
“We have the ability and the position to be in a leadership role in a space station led by India,” Shukla said.
During the meeting, PM Modi recalled assigning “homework” to Shukla — to learn and document everything that could help future astronauts. Shukla shared how even astronauts on the ISS teased him about getting such a special task from his country’s leader. The documentation is expected to be valuable for ISRO’s astronaut training pipeline.
In a symbolic moment, Shukla gifted PM Modi the Tricolour he carried into space and the official Axiom-4 mission patch. The patch features Earth at the center of a pentagon, the four astronauts’ names and national flags, and seven stars representing the continents.
Shukla detailed his experiment in growing crops aboard the ISS in a water-based dish. Sprouting in just eight days, the experiment offered hope not just for long-duration space missions but for food security challenges on Earth.
“Food is a big challenge in space. But this research may help solve problems here on Earth too,” Shukla said.
Describing his physical transformation in space, Shukla said that adaptation is required both while reaching and returning from orbit.
“I was feeling okay but I could not walk… the brain has to rewire,” he explained.
Shukla reflected on how Indian children today see space as a real career option — unlike his own childhood, when India lacked a consistent astronaut programme.
“Children no longer just dream — they know becoming an astronaut is possible,” he shared.
Looking ahead, PM Modi emphasized the need for a strong astronaut pool of 40–50 individuals to support India’s ambitions. Shukla’s insights, training, and documentation are set to play a crucial role in the Gaganyaan mission, scheduled for launch in the coming years.
Shukla, who had been recovering in Houston after landing back on Earth in July, arrived in India to a warm reception at Delhi Airport by Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
His journey marks not just the return of a national hero, but the takeoff of India’s next giant leap in space.
