Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Monday, recognizing his groundbreaking journey to the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit the ISS, presented PM Modi with the Axiom-4 mission patch and shared photographs of Earth taken from space.

Shukla's 18-day mission, which concluded with his return to Earth on July 15, involved conducting over 60 experiments alongside three other astronauts. His achievement is a significant stride towards India's ambitions in human spaceflight, particularly the Gaganyaan program. He was part of NASA's Axiom-4 Space Mission, which launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 25. Shukla's return marked the first time an Indian had been to space in 41 years.

Earlier in the day, Shukla was honored in the Lok Sabha during a special discussion about his mission. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla acknowledged Shukla as an inspiration to the youth, highlighting the importance of his achievements for India's space program and the vision of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasized that the discussion aimed to celebrate Shukla's personal achievement and India's growing capabilities in space. He also encouraged opposition members of parliament to participate in the debate. Despite this appeal, opposition parties boycotted the session, causing disruptions and adjournment of the House.

Shashi Tharoor, a Congress MP, broke with his party's stance, praising Shukla's mission on social media. Tharoor acknowledged the mission as a crucial stepping stone for Gaganyaan, India's human spaceflight program.

Upon arriving in New Delhi, Shukla was greeted by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and his wife, Kamna Shukla. Reflecting on his experience, Shukla shared an emotional message on X, expressing mixed feelings about leaving his mission team and excitement about reuniting with family and friends in India.

The Prime Minister welcomed Shukla with a warm embrace and lauded him for becoming the first Indian to visit the International Space Station. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Delhi.