'You Made India Proud': PM Modi Dials Skyroot Team After Historic Launch

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the founders of Skyroot Aerospace after the successful launch of Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, calling it a landmark achievement for the country's space sector and a source of inspiration for young innovators.Speaking over the phone with Skyroot Aerospace Co-founders Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka shortly after the launch, the Prime Minister praised the team's achievement and its significance for India's growing private space ecosystem."Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, you have not only planted a new tree in space, but a new root has also been strengthened on the ground to inspire the new generation," PM Modi said.Congratulating

the entire Skyroot team, he added, "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 said he had been closely monitoring the mission and wished he could have been present at the launch site to celebrate the moment with the young engineers. "I wanted to be there with the young team. I was closely tracking the launch and congratulate your entire team on this remarkable success. It was truly heartening to see that most of your team members are just 25 to 30 years old. That made me especially happy," he added.

VIDEO | Sri Harikota, Andhra Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) congratulates Skyroot Aerospace over a telephone call after India's first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1, successfully reaches orbit, completing its final burn and injecting payloads… pic.twitter.com/lctCsAwMtu

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 18, 2026

The launch of Mission Aagaman marked a historic milestone for India's private space industry, with the seven-storey-tall Vikram-1 successfully placing its payloads into the intended low Earth orbit on its maiden orbital mission.

Vikram-1 Carried PM Modi's Postcard

Adding a symbolic element to the mission, Vikram-1 carried a handwritten postcard from the Prime Minister bearing the words "Vande Mataram". The postcard travelled to space alongside dozens of handwritten messages from Skyroot employees, investors, scientists, policymakers and well-wishers from across the world.The successful mission is seen as a major boost to India's commercial space ambitions and a significant validation of indigenous technologies developed by the Hyderabad-based startup, positioning Skyroot Aerospace among the country's leading private space companies.