OUT OF THIS WORLD

One astronaut's journey capped a decade in which India broke a state monopoly, built a private space economy, and set its sights on a crewed mission to the Moon

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When Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla lifted off aboard Axiom-4 on June 25, 2025—becoming only the second Indian to travel to space—he radioed back a line that captured a long-deferred national ambition: “We're back in space after 41 years.

... This is the beginning of India’s human spaceflight.” A day later, Shukla became the first Indian to enter the International Space Station, settling in for 18 days of living and working 400 kilometres above Earth. It was a personal milestone—but also the most visible expression of a transformation that had been reshaping India’s space sector.