India growing by leaps and bounds in space sector: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the National Space Day, PM Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted India's growing capabilities in the space sector, citing Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla 's recent journey to International Space Station (ISS) and the emergence of more than 200 startups in the sector. Talking about Shukla, who was one of the four crew members of the Axiom-4 mission to ISS, Modi, in his 124th 'Mann Ki Baat' episode, said that when the astronaut landed back on Earth, a "wave of happiness rippled through every heart" and the "whole country was filled with pride".

He also highlighted that the success of Isro 's Chandrayaan-3 mission had created an atmosphere of curiosity in the country for space endeavours. "I remember, when Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed in Aug 2023, a new ambience was created in the country. A new curiosity also arose among children about science, about space. Little children now say, we will also go to space; we will also land on the Moon - we will become space scientists," the Prime Minister said.

He specially mentioned the ' INSPIRE-MANAK Abhiyan ', which promotes innovation among children by providing them with a platform to develop innovative ideas rooted in science. "Under this, five children are selected from each school. Each child comes up with a new idea. So far, lakhs of children have joined, and since Chandrayaan-3, their number has doubled".

On India's space startups, Modi pointed out that their number has quadrupled in the last five years. "Five years ago, there were fewer than 50 startups. Today, there are more than 200."

As regards the upcoming National Space Day on Aug 23, he said, "How will you celebrate it..., do you have any new ideas? Do send me a message on the NaMo App". He also mentioned the recent achievements of students in science and mathematics, giving a shout-out to the country's brightest minds.