Shubhanshu Shukla asks IIT-H students to pursue career in space technology to realise India’s dream projects

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla interacted with students at IIT Hyderabad, sharing insights into astronaut training, human spaceflight and India's future space ambitions. He encouraged students to embrace curiosity, resilience and innovation to contribute to the country's growing space ecosystem

Sangareddy: Students at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) had the unique opportunity to interact with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, one of India’s leading astronauts and a member of the historic Axiom-4 mission, during a special session organised under the institute’s Extra Mural Lectures (EML) initiative.

Addressing a packed auditorium of students, faculty and researchers at the IIT-H campus in Kandi, Group Captain Shukla shared his experiences from his remarkable journey, from serving as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) to representing India in human spaceflight. Sharing his experiences of astronaut training, life aboard a space mission and the challenges of operating in one of the most demanding environments known to humanity, he called upon students to embrace curiosity, discipline and resilience in pursuing ambitious goals.

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Drawing from his own experiences, Shukla highlighted the importance of scientific temper, teamwork, perseverance and continuous learning, inspiring students to contribute to India’s rapidly growing space ecosystem and technological leadership.

The astronaut observed that India was entering one of the most exciting phases of its journey in space. He said that India’s ambitions of building the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and sending an Indian to the Moon would become a reality only when today’s students chose to build that future.

Welcoming the distinguished astronaut, Director of IITH Prof BS Murty said such interactions would enable students to learn beyond classrooms and inspire them to dream bigger, innovate fearlessly and contribute to India’s technological and scientific advancement.

The session concluded with an engaging interaction during which students posed questions on astronaut selection, space missions, life in microgravity, future human space exploration and the emerging opportunities in India’s expanding space sector.