New Delhi, June 25, 2025 (ANI) : Union Minister Jitendra Singh lauded the successful liftoff to ISS by Axiom 4 mission piloted by Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and said that “Americans were keen to have Indian on board” . He also praised Shubhanshu Shukla and said “I am proud and more than that, we are also proud of the fact that they offered to have one of the Indians...When this Mission was being planned, it was about 2-3 years back, when PM Modi was on a visit to DC...Then the offer came that a Mission like this is being planned and they would like to have one of the Indians also on board. Incidentally, we had four Air Force officers who were already unergoing training for Gaganyaan...Shubhanshu being youngest of the four...So, the choice had to zero down on one of them. Finally Shubhanshu's name was picked up and standby was Nair (Group Captain Prasanth Nair). The Americans were equally keen to have an Indian onboard. In other words, it means that they, today more than ever before, realise the importance of India's potential, India's talent and India's capacity to contribute."The Union Minister also lauded India’s space sector revolution and said that “I think because of space, India's science capabilities have gained acceptance...Till a few years ago, science endeavours or science achievements hardly found any space in the mainstream media...Space has given us space in the media also."
00:00Proud and more than that, we're also proud of the fact that the offer to have one of the Indians there came from the American side when this mission was being planned. It was about two or three years back when Prime Minister Modi was on a visit to D.C. and he was engaged in parlays with the then President Biden and then the offer came that a mission like this is being planned. They would like to have one of the Indians also on board and incidentally we had four Air Force officers who were already undergoing training.
00:30For Gaganayan, Nair, Krishnan, Angat and Shubhashu, Shubhashu being the youngest of the four. All the other were group captains. He was at that point in time. Wing Commander now he's also a group captain. So obviously the choice had to zero down on one of them. And then finally Shubhashu's name was picked up and standby was Nair.
00:51So what I'm trying to say is that the Americans were equally keen to have an Indian on board which in other words means that they today more than ever before realize the importance of India potential, India talent and India's capacity to contribute.
01:09Now I think because of space India's science capabilities have gained acceptance. The very fact that you are interviewing itself because still a few years ago science endeavors or science achievements hardly found any place in the or any space in the mainstream media.
