Shubhanshu Shukla received a grand welcome upon his return to India on Sunday following his historic journey to the International Space Station. A large crowd gathered at the airport, chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and playing drums to celebrate his arrival.

During the 21st convocation ceremony of SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Kattan-kulathur, Narayanan received the honorary degree of Doctor of Science from Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan. In his address, the ISRO chief recalled that the Indian space agency was established in 1963, a time when the nation lagged behind developed countries by six to seven years.

He noted that in the same year, the United States donated a small rocket, which initiated the Indian space program. The date was November 21, 1963. Narayanan stated that in 1975, ISRO, using satellite data provided by the US, conducted a public communication test by installing 2,400 television sets in 2,400 villages across six Indian states.

He further stated that after this humble beginning, July 30, 2025, marked a historic day for the Indian space program with the launch of the NISAR satellite. This is the most expensive satellite of its kind to date. The L-band SAR payload was provided by the United States, and the S-band payload was provided by ISRO. The satellite was accurately placed into orbit by an Indian launcher (GSLV), and today, India stands shoulder-to-shoulder with advanced nations.

Narayanan mentioned that a team from NASA lauded the ISRO counterparts for the precise launch of the GSLV-F16/NISAR mission. He pointed out the remarkable progress of a nation that started its space program with a small rocket from the US and is now poised to launch a 6,500-kilogram US-built communications satellite using its own launch vehicle from Indian soil in the coming months.

Narayanan also added that 50 years ago, the country lacked satellite technology, but now, its space agency, ISRO, has launched a total of 433 satellites from 34 countries using its launchers. He stated that during Operation Sindoor, ISRO also ensured the safety of all Indian citizens through its satellites, contributing whatever it could.

Referring to significant missions, Narayanan noted that through the Chandrayaan-1 mission, ISRO was able to identify water molecules on the lunar surface, and with Chandrayaan-3, India achieved a soft landing on the moon’s south pole. He mentioned that India surpassed the Russian record of launching 34 satellites into orbit using a single launch vehicle by successfully deploying 104 satellites into the desired orbit using a single rocket.

Shambhu Shukla expressed his happiness, attributing the success to divine blessings. Asha Shukla, his mother, shared her emotional state, stating that the family was overjoyed. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, watching the launch in Delhi, highlighted the significance of the event for India’s Human Space Programme, calling it a step towards ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Earlier, Shukla’s father had expressed his pride, stating that his son’s achievement brings honor not only to Lucknow but also to the nation. He expressed blessings and prayers for the mission’s success and acknowledged the pride they felt. The Ax-4 crew includes members from India, Poland, and Hungary, marking a historic first for each nation’s mission to the space station and the second government-sponsored human spaceflight mission in over 40 years. The mission involves around 60 scientific studies and activities representing 31 countries, making it one of the most research-focused missions on an Axiom Space mission aboard the ISS to date.