
Gaganyaan Loading... Shubhanshu Shukla To Be Back In India Soon
India's 21st-century space hero, astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, is on his way back to India. Mr Shukla spent 18 days at the International Space Station on the Axiom 4 commercial space mission. Very soon, he would be back in India, announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address this morning.
While Group Captain Shukla was in space, PM Modi had given him a "homework" - that he should document the entire sequence of his training and stay at the space station, for what would become the handbook for India's own Gaganyaan program, or its first human spaceflight program.
The ambitious program aims to launch an Indian astronaut on an Indian rocket from Indian soil, where the countdown will also be Indian. This program is called Gaganyaan, and the astronauts Gaganyaatris.
Mr Shukla, who has had more than a year of training in the US, has laid the first steps for the program. During this time, he has trained at NASA, Axiom, and SpaceX facilities. Now that he is on his way back to India, he will help India prepare for the human spaceflight.
PM Modi reiterated from the ramparts of the Red Fort today India's plans to have a Bharatiya Antariksh Station (or the Indian Space Station), which is likely to come up by 2035, and to land an Indian on the moon by 2040. Group Captain Shukla and three other astronaut-designates were chosen a few years back, and they were all training to be part of Gaganyaan.
The NASA-ISRO human space mission, called Axiom 4, came up in between, and Mr Shukla was chosen as the prime astronaut. He flew to the International Space Station on a Falcon 9 rocket and a Crew Dragon, both made by Elon Musk's SpaceX. Group Captain Prashant Balakrishna Nair was the standby astronaut, who, in a way, was to act like a sponge and get all the wisdom of the training.
For Gaganyaan, the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 has been made human spaceflight ready, but India is still struggling with the crew module. The environment life control system is taking longer to master, simply because the components cannot be imported.
Now that Group Captain Shukla has undertaken a flight to the space station, he must have learned the basics of human spaceflight. While in space, he conducted seven India-specific experiments. Those have now been brought back to the principal investigators in India; the results are expected soon.
Now, all eyes are on when PM Modi gets to meet Mr Shukla.
It may be recalled that in 1984, Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma had flown to the Russian or the USSR Space Station and created history by becoming the first Indian astronaut to go to space. Group Captain Shukla, who follows in his footsteps, will now play a critical role in the Gaganyaan program. He is just 39 years old and has a long career ahead during which he can contribute to the program.
Whenever India succeeds in sending an Indian to space using indigenous technology, the country will become the fourth nation in the world to achieve the feat. The first was the USSR, followed by the US, and then China. China did it in 2003, and no other country since has succeeded in sending humans to space using their own technology.
Now, the real work begins for Mr Shukla as he gets down to make the Gaganyaan program successful. His colleagues have said that he is a superbly intelligent person, cool and calm, and that he would be able to contribute to the human spaceflight program in a big way.
The Group Captain is expected to begin the work for Gaganyaan very soon. On August 23, India will be celebrating the second National Space Day, and Mr Shukla is expected to interact with Indians while on Earth on the occasion.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Hyd & B'luru bagged 50% of tech sector leasing in H1 of 2025 driven by GCC boom
1 2 Hyderabad: Even as the tech sector continues to dominate India's Grade A office space market, along with large-sized deals of over 1 lakh sq ft, Hyderabad, along with India's Silicon Valley—Bengaluru, retained their position as the top drivers of tech sector leasing in the first half of 2025 (H1 2025) thanks to the GCC boom. The two top IT hubs accounted for nearly half (5.3 million sq ft) of the total 10.8 million sq ft of office space absorbed by the tech sector in H1 2025, according to realty consulting firm Colliers. While Bengaluru clinched the largest chunk of 28% with 3 million sq ft, Hyderabad was second with a 21% share or 2.3 million sq ft of the total office space leasing by tech companies in H1 2025 across the top seven cities. The two were followed by Delhi-NCR, Chennai, and Pune with 1.6 million sq ft (15%), 1.5 million sq ft (14%), and 1.2 million sq ft (11%) in H1. In 2024, Bengaluru had a 34% share of the total 16.6 million sq ft tech leasing in the top markets with 5.7 million sq ft, while Hyderabad had a 25% share with 4.2 million sq ft. In 2022 too, which clocked the highest tech sector leasing since 2020. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad | Gold Rates Today in Hyderabad | Silver Rates Today in Hyderabad Colliers said while Bengaluru continues to be the epicentre of India's tech sector thanks to its deep talent pool, mature IT ecosystem, and robust office infrastructure, Hyderabad is beefing up its position as a major tech centre in India and globally on account of its competitive costs, supportive govt, and high-quality office space. "The tech sector continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience, even amid global uncertainties and workforce adjustments. Since 2020, tech occupiers leased close to 85 million sq ft of conventional office space across the top seven cities and accounted for the bulk of the large-sized transactions. In H1 2025 alone, the sector drove 43% of the large-sized transactions," Arpit Mehrotra, Managing Director, Office Services, Colliers India, said. "Despite current headwinds, we expect technology occupiers to maintain the leasing momentum throughout 2025 and fuel commercial real estate in India, mainly supported by the expansion of GCCs. Meanwhile, a strong IT talent pool and cost arbitrage will continue to be the differentiating factors for the Indian office market," Mehrotra added. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes ,, messages , and quotes !


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
IBM to support Maharashtra in developing quantum computing initiative
Global tech giant IBM on Wednesday said it will support Maharashtra in developing its quantum computing initiative. The US-headquartered company having a presence in the western state also signed a letter of intent with the Maharashtra government to identify opportunities of support for the state's quantum initiatives, as per a statement. IBM will offer expertise, which Maharashtra may use to help craft its own quantum initiative, and also contribute to the development of the state's quantum ecosystem through workshops and other skills development efforts. "Through our collaboration with IBM, we will harness quantum innovation to transform lives, while building a skilled talent pool to democratise its benefits and make them accessible to every citizen of the state," Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said. The company's general manager for Asia Pacific Hans Dekkers said the effort should be seen as a commitment to help Maharashtra build its own vibrant quantum ecosystem. IBM India and south Asia's Managing Director Sandip Patel welcomed the opportunity to engage with the state government on advancing quantum computing skills. Fadnavis on Wednesday inaugurated the tech major's client experience centre at a new facility in the country's financial capital which is designed to support Indian enterprises' use of AI, hybrid cloud, and quantum computing. The centre will serve as a place where experts from the company and partners can create solutions for India's business challenges. It will also have solutions and services from the company's AI portfolio, including the watsonx platform, data and automation, cybersecurity, hybrid cloud, and consulting-led transformation.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
India–Australia bioinnovation corridor launches cross border tech accelerator
The Bangalore Bioinnovation Centre (BBC) and La Trobe University (LTU), Australia, have launched the Ind–Aus Launchpad Programme, a cross-border accelerator designed to fast-track high-potential biotech, digital health, and sustainable technology startups for global initiative builds on the Bioinnovation Exchange Corridor, established under a September 2024 MoU between the State of Victoria and the State of Karnataka. Supported by the Department of IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka, and the Victorian Government, the corridor integrates the startup ecosystems of Bengaluru and Melbourne, enabling joint R&D, advanced prototyping, and rapid commercialization in sectors including digital health, sustainable agriculture, precision medicine, and environmental resilience. The programme's first cohort of 11 Indian startups underwent an intensive 12-week pre-accelerator at BBC, combining shared lab and prototyping facilities, market access simulations, IP advisory services, and advanced TRL (Technology Readiness Level) assessments. Startups were also evaluated on Commercialization Readiness Level (CRL) and Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) to ensure technology viability and scalability. Following this process, three startups were selected for a fully sponsored immersion programme at LTU's Bio Innovation Hub in Melbourne: 1. Microbeworks Scientific – Developing bioengineered microbial dyes to replace toxic synthetic dyes in textiles, with potential to reduce water contamination by up to 90%. 2. HornetBiologicals – Using RT-PCR and microarray-based genetic screening to improve livestock breeding productivity by over 30%. 3. IMRobonix – Creator of SurgiKot, India's first robotic handheld device for precision-driven minimally invasive surgeries, integrating AI-guided navigation. The Melbourne immersion includes co-location with LTU researchers, regulatory readiness workshops, investor roundtables, and product-market feasibility studies for Australia and global markets. Over the next phase, the programme will add a one-month onsite immersion, 12-month virtual residency, and cross-border co-innovation sprints for startups from both India and Australia. 'The Ind–Aus. Launchpad operationalizes a global innovation pipeline — giving startups real-world access to R&D infrastructure, regulatory expertise, and market intelligence,' said Dr Mohamed Adil A.A, Managing Director, BBC. 'This is a two-way bridge between two leading innovation economies, designed to deliver deep-tech and digital health solutions with global relevance,' added Professor Theo Farrell, Vice-Chancellor, La Trobe University. With global biotech expected to reach USD 3.88 trillion by 2030 (Grand View Research), and India projected to become a USD 150 billion bioeconomy by 2025, the corridor exemplifies how international innovation diplomacy can accelerate the translation of research into market-ready technologies. By linking India's high-growth startup ecosystem with Australia's advanced research infrastructure, the Ind–Aus. Launchpad positions both economies to address shared challenges in health, sustainability, and technology-led growth.