Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the Skyroot A1erospace team after the successful launch of the Vikram-1 rocket, calling the achievement a proud moment for the country and a reflection of the capabilities of India’s young innovators.
PM Modi spoke to the team over a phone call shortly after the launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, where engineers and scientists celebrated the historic milestone.
During the call, PM Modi congratulated Skyroot CEO and Co-founder Pawan Kumar Chandana and his team, saying they had made the nation proud through their achievement. “You have made India proud. You have planted India’s aspirations in space and have also given roots to the dreams of the youth,” the Prime Minister told the team.
Chandana informed the Prime Minister that the average age of the Skyroot team is just 28 years.
Responding to this, Modi said the achievement had reinforced his faith in India’s youth. “Your team has proved my faith in the youth of India right. Many doubted our space dreams, but this team has shown that if trusted, Indian youth can do wonders,” he said.
As Chandana thanked the Prime Minister for personally calling the team, Modi said he felt it was important to be part of the historic occasion.
Referring to the mission’s name, Aagaman, he expressed confidence that the successful launch marked only the beginning of Skyroot’s journey and that many more milestones lay ahead.
During the nearly nine-minute interaction, the Prime Minister praised the team’s efforts and said they had taken India’s space story to a new level.
Chandana also told the Prime Minister that the handwritten “Vande Mataram” note sent by him before the launch had travelled into space aboard Vikram-1. “Vande Mataram is now in space,” Chandana said during the conversation.
Explaining why he had written only those two words, Modi said the gesture carried special significance because the country is marking the 150th year of the national song. He added that *Vande Mataram* has always inspired generations of young Indians. “You have lived the spirit of Vande Mataram,” the Prime Minister told the team.
Concluding the interaction, PM Modi encouraged the team to continue pushing new frontiers in India’s space sector.