'You may be far, but hearts of 140cr Indians beat with you, it's start of new era': PM Modi to Shukla on ISS

Time of India

3 days ago

NEW DELHI: 'Earth looks borderless and gives feeling of oneness, and Bharat looks big from space,' Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla told
PM Narendra Modi
on Saturday during his first interaction with the PM through a video link from the International Space Station while 'orbiting Earth at an altitude of 400 km".
Cheering the astronaut, Modi told him that 'you may be far from us but the hearts of 140 crore Indians beat with you'.
'The first thing I saw was Earth — it looks perfectly unified. No borders are visible. India looks so large from here, far more prominent than on a map. From up here, there are no countries, no divisions — just one home. That is our ethos: unity in diversity. Just a while ago, when I saw from the window of ISS, I could see Hawaii,' Group Captain Shukla told the PM while informing him, 'I have hoisted the tricolour on ISS.
India has reached ISS.
'
Modi said Shukla's name carries the word 'shubh' (meaning auspicious) and that his journey marked the auspicious 'beginning of a new era'. The Indian astronaut told the PM that his space sojourn was 'not my journey alone but also our country's'.
'We trained for a year and I learnt about different systems...but after coming here, everything changed...Here, even small things are different because there is no gravity in space...Sleeping
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here is a big challenge...I can even sleep on the roof. It takes some time to get used to this environment,' Shukla told the PM, while adding, 'Right now, we are travelling at a speed of 28,000 kmph and I am talking to you with my legs tied.
' 'This speed reflects how fast our nation is progressing and now, we must go even beyond this,' he said.
The astronaut said the space station orbits Earth 16 times a day and that he is privileged to witness 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets every day.
While referring the astronaut as 'Shux', PM gave him 'homework', telling him to learn as much as possible because the lessons learnt from this Axiom-4 mission 'will have to be extensively used in the
Gaganyaan mission
, our own Bharatiya Antariksh Station and also for landing an Indian on the Moon.' Shukla told Modi that he is 'absorbing experiences at ISS like a sponge'.
When the PM asked about Indian delicacies he carried to space and whether he shared them with his space mates, Shukla said he is carrying 'gajar ka halwa, moong dal halwa, and aamras into orbit'.
'I wanted my fellow crew members from other countries to taste India's heritage. We all sat together and enjoyed it. They loved it,' Shukla said.
Shukla shared his reflections from space — on science, struggle, and the boundless dreams of a rising nation. The call was more than ceremonial. It was a glimpse into how India's spacefaring ambitions have matured. Modi described Shukla's journey not as a solitary voyage but as India's own orbit of progress.
'When I was a child, I never imagined I could become an astronaut. But today, modern India enables the realisation of such dreams,' Shukla said.
When asked by Modi about microgravity tests he will carry out on ISS, especially from the medicine and agriculture sectors, Shukla said, he 'will do seven experiments'. 'Today, I am going to do a test on stem cells. I am doing a test on supplements to see if such supplements can help prevent muscle loss.
This will help people in old age who are losing muscle due to ageing,' he said. Another test explores the cultivation of nutrient-rich microalgae, which could boost food security back home.
'The advantage of space,' he said, 'is that processes happen quickly. That accelerates research and inspires children back home to say, 'I can go there too'.'
PM Modi asked what message he would send to India's youth. Shukla responded with clarity and conviction: 'Never stop trying.
Whether today or tomorrow, success will come if you don't give up. This is just the first chapter of India's space story. We'll build our own space station. We'll land Indian astronauts on the Moon. And, I'm documenting everything—every lesson I learn will help others fly sooner.'
His final words struck a chord destined to echo across classrooms, command centres and quiet corners of the country: 'The sky is never the limit—not for me, not for you, and not for India.'
'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' chant filled up the space station as the PM raised the slogan towards the end of the 18-minute conversation, which was reciprocated by Shukla.