Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla with students of IIT-Hyderabad on Monday.
| Photo Credit: MOHD. ARIF
Indian Air Force Group Captain and member of the Axiom-4 mission, Shubhanshu Shukla called upon students to prepare themselves to lead the country’s ambitious future in human space exploration, during an interactive session at Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H) on Monday.Addressing students, faculty and researchers, he said India is entering a transformative phase in space exploration with plans to establish the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and send an Indian astronaut to the moon by 2040.He stressed that achieving these goals would require a new generation of engineers, scientists and innovators equipped with interdisciplinary knowledge, research skills and a spirit of innovation.Emphasising the importance of continuous learning, Mr. Shukla urged students to see themselves not merely as participants but as future leaders of India’s space programme.“Our ambitions of building the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and sending an Indian to the moon will become reality only when today’s students choose to build that future. Don’t think of it as an opportunity to be part of India’s space programme; think of it as your responsibility to make it happen. The sky was never the limit, not for me, not for you, and not for Bharat,” he said.The session concluded with an interactive discussion on astronaut selection, life in space and emerging opportunities in India’s growing space sector. Published - July 13, 2026 10:04 pm IST
