Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who was part of the historic Axiom-4 mission, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence in New Delhi on Monday.
In a video shared by news agency ANI, Shukla is seen shaking hands with the Prime Minister then going in for a hug. The video also showed the two involved in conversation as Shukla showed Modi snippets from his space travel on a tablet.
The montage also included scenes from their interaction and visuals of the two holding the national flag that was taken aboard the orbital lab during the mission. Shukla could also be seen handing PM Modi a memento commemorating the Axiom-4 mission.
#WATCH | Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who was the pilot of Axiom-4 Space Mission to the International Space Station (ISS), meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi. pic.twitter.com/0uvclu9V2b
— ANI (@ANI) August 18, 2025
Following his return from his 18-day visit to the ISS on July 15, Shukla has been in Houston, Texas, reacclimatising to the Earth’s gravity. Shukla landed in India on Monday and was greeted at the Delhi airport by Union Science Minister Jitendra Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Flanked by Singh and Gupta, Shukla received a resounding welcome from visitors at the airport. He greeted them, flashed smiles and posed for cameras.
Senior officials from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), including chairperson Dr V Narayanan, and the director of the country’s Human Spaceflight Centre, DK Singh, were also present to welcome Shukla and Group Captain Prashanth Nair, who was also his back-up for the Axiom-4.
A moment of pride for India! A moment of glory for #ISRO! A moment of gratitude to the dispensation that facilitated this under the leadership of PM @narendramodi.
India’s Space glory touches the Indian soil… as the iconic son of Mother India, #Gaganyatri Shubhanshu Shukla… pic.twitter.com/0QJsYHpTuS
— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) August 16, 2025
As part of the historic Axiom-4 mission, Shukla became the second Indian to go to space 40 years after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma and the first Indian to step aboard the ISS.
In the orbital lab, he conducted various experiments which were required to be carried out under microgravity, achieving several milestones in the field of science.
His visit was a precursor to the Gaganyaan mission that will send the astronauts to space onboard an Indian spacecraft. India also plans to set up a space station by 2035. Accompanying Shukla will be his fellow astronauts: Prashanth Nair, 48; Ajith Krishnan, 43; and Angad Pratap, 43.
Story continues below this ad
The Gaganyaan team will return later to the national capital, along with the three other Indian astronaut designates, for the country’s second Space Day on August 23, commemorating the Chandrayaan-3 moon landing.