Why did PM Modi call the founders of Skyroot immediately after the historic success of Vikram-1? What was said in the conversation that presented a new picture of the future of India’s private space sector?
Skyroot Aerospace: India’s private space sector created a history that attracted the attention of the world. Minutes after the successful launch of Vikram-1 from Sriharikota, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Skyroot Aerospace co-founders Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharat Daka and congratulated them. But what was said in this conversation, which made this mission not just a launch but a new flight for India’s future?
That last minute hold… was the mission going to stop?
The countdown was going smoothly when suddenly just before lift-off the launch had to be aborted due to an internal hold. There was silence in the control room. Stress was clearly visible on the faces of scientists and engineers. Will India’s first private orbital-class rocket miss out on making history? But then, the young stalwarts of Skyroot Aerospace overcame that technical challenge. The rocket spewing fire tore the sky apart. In the very first attempt, all four stages did what many veterans had not imagined.
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That phone call from PM Modi at midnight: “I wish I was there…”
Soon after the astonishing success of the launch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Skyroot founders Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharat Daka. The PM said, “I was following this mission very closely. I wish I was there with that young team.” PM Modi said that when the decision was taken to hand over the space sector to private hands, many people had doubts. But today these youth of 25 to 30 years have blown away that doubt and proved that India’s private sector is ready to rule the world.
Prime Minister’s call came after the launch, a memorable moment for the founders
After Vikram-1 successfully reached orbit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke directly to both the founders of Skyroot. He said that this achievement justifies India’s decision to give opportunity to private companies in the space sector. The Prime Minister said that he was keeping a close eye on the entire mission and wished that he would have been present among the team at the time of launch. He highly praised the young scientists and engineers.
‘You did not just fly the rocket, you gave flight to the dreams of the new generation’
During the conversation, the Prime Minister told Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharat Daka that they not only sent a rocket into space, but also laid a strong foundation for the dreams of the youth of the country. He particularly noted that most of the team members are in the age group of 25 to 30, which shows the strength of India’s youth innovation.
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Vande Mataram postcard also reached space
‘Mission Arrival’ was not just a technical achievement. With this mission, Prime Minister Modi’s hand-written “Vande Mataram” postcard was also sent into space. It also included messages from current and former ISRO chairmen, Indian astronauts, scientists, investors and the Skyroot team. This was a symbolic effort to honor India’s space journey.
Why is the success of Vikram-1 special?
Vikram-1 is India’s first successful private orbital-class rocket. During the mission, all four stages performed as planned and successfully placed the payload in orbit on the first attempt. This achievement takes India among the select few countries where private companies are able to independently design, develop and launch orbital rockets.
New chapter opens for India’s space sector
Prime Minister Modi also congratulated the team of Skyroot on X and said that the increasing participation of the private sector is giving a new direction to innovation in India. He expressed confidence that the success of Vikram-1 will inspire millions of youth of the country to dream big and move forward in the field of science and technology. This success of Vikram-1 is not just a launch, but is being considered as the beginning of a new era of India’s commercial space ecosystem.