Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shared details of his 18-day ISS visit. During this, he presented the mission patch of the ‘Axiom-4 Mission’ and the Indian tricolor taken to space to the Prime Minister, which will give impetus to future missions like Gaganyaan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla in the evening. The meeting took place a day after the astronaut returned to India after a historic visit to the International Space Station (ISS). Prime Minister Modi hosted Mr. Shukla at the Prime Minister’s residence in Delhi. Prime Minister Modi welcomed Mr. Shukla, who was wearing an ISRO astronaut’s jacket, with a hug.

Shubhanshu Shukla went to space on 25 June 2025 under the ‘Axiom-4 Mission’. He stayed on the International Space Station for 18 days and returned on 15 July. Shukla met the Prime Minister at his residence on Lok Kalyan Marg. Modi greeted Shukla, who was wearing an ISRO astronaut’s jacket, with a warm hug and walked with him, placing his hand on his shoulder.

Shukla presented the Prime Minister with the mission patch of the Axiom-4 mission and the Indian tricolour he had taken with him to the ISS. The Indian tricolour was fluttering in the background on the ISS when Shukla and Modi spoke on June 29. Modi wrote on the social media platform ‘X’, “Had a very good conversation with Shubhnshu Shukla. We discussed many topics including his experiences in space, progress in science and technology and India’s ambitious Gaganyaan mission.

India is proud of his achievement.” The Lucknow-born astronaut was seen showing Prime Minister Modi pictures taken from the ISS on a ‘tablet computer’. Shukla shared a picture of himself presenting a framed tricolour to the Prime Minister on the social media platform ‘X’ and wrote, “Met the Honorable Prime Minister today. The last time I spoke to him digitally from orbit (in space), this same flag was visible in the background on the ISS.