New Delhi witnessed a landmark moment today as Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, test pilot of the Indian Air Force and the country’s first astronaut of the 21st century, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence.

In a gesture filled with patriotic emotion, Shukla handed over to the Prime Minister the Indian national flag that he had carried with him to the International Space Station during the historic Axiom-4 mission. The presentation was seen as a symbol of India’s bold stride into the age of human space exploration.

During their interaction, Shukla recounted his experiences aboard the ISS — from the physical challenges of living in microgravity to the exhilaration of working alongside an international crew. He also highlighted the significance of the India-specific experiments he carried out, covering areas like space medicine and microgravity agriculture, which will directly contribute to the country’s upcoming Gaganyaan programme.

PM Modi, visibly touched by the astronaut’s gesture, praised him for not only accomplishing a technical milestone but also for sparking the imagination of young Indians to look beyond Earth.

Earlier in the day, Parliament paid tribute to Shukla’s achievement. Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh commended the mission as a milestone in India’s journey towards human spaceflight. Though the Opposition refrained from participating in the special discussion, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed admiration through a post on X, writing that all Indians take pride in Shukla’s successful ISS mission.

Tharoor also stressed that Shukla’s role as commander on Ax-4 represents a key step forward for India’s space aspirations, laying the groundwork for the indigenous Gaganyaan mission.

The Ax-4 mission, undertaken in partnership with international agencies, has given India invaluable operational knowledge and confidence as it prepares to send its own astronauts into space on an Indian rocket.