Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally called Skyroot Aerospace’s founders Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka minutes after Vikram-1’s flawless orbital debut, hailing the young team’s achievement as proof of India’s bold space reforms and a landmark for the nation’s private space sector.

He emphasised that the success vindicated the government’s decision to open the industry to private players and highlighted the symbolic payload of his handwritten “Vande Mataram” postcard travelling aboard the rocket.

The Prime Minister congratulated the founders over the phone, describing the launch as planting “a new tree in space” while strengthening roots on the ground to inspire future generations. He said he had been closely tracking the mission and wished he could have been present at Sriharikota to witness the historic lift-off alongside the team.

PM Modi expressed particular joy that most of Skyroot’s engineers are between 25 and 30 years old, calling their achievement a testament to India’s youthful talent and entrepreneurial spirit.

He recalled the scepticism that surrounded the Centre’s 2020 decision to open India’s space sector to private companies, noting that Vikram-1’s success had vindicated that policy.

PM Modi stressed that the mission demonstrated India’s growing self-reliance in space technology and urged the team to continue building on this milestone, describing it as only the beginning of a new chapter in India’s space journey.

Adding a personal touch, Vikram-1 carried a handwritten postcard from the Prime Minister inscribed with “Vande Mataram.” This symbolic payload was accompanied by dozens of handwritten messages from Skyroot employees, investors, policymakers, scientists, and well-wishers worldwide.

The collection also included notes from current and former ISRO chairmen and Indian astronauts, paying tribute to the decades-long journey that shaped India’s space program. Modi revealed that he chose “Vande Mataram” to mark the 150th anniversary of India’s national song in 2026, linking the mission to a broader cultural celebration.

The mission, named Aagaman (Arrival), lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre after a brief internal hold delayed the scheduled 11:30 am launch to 12:05 pm. The seven-storey rocket executed all four stage separations flawlessly, completing its final burn and injecting payloads into a 450 km orbit. 

Among the payloads were Grahaa Space’s Solaras S3 CubeSat, Cosmoserve’s Embrace robotic arm demonstrator, Skyroot’s SCOPE platform, and DCubed’s technology demonstrators, alongside symbolic tributes such as Cosmos Diamonds’ lab-grown lotus and microscopic gold sculptures of India’s pioneering scientists.

With this achievement, India has become only the third country after the United States and China to demonstrate private orbital launch capability. The Hyderabad-based start-up, already valued at over $1 billion, plans to scale production to one rocket per month and begin commercial launches next year.

PM Modi invited the Skyroot team to meet him soon, affirming his support for their future endeavours and stressing that their success would inspire countless young innovators across the country.

The flawless mission marks a watershed moment for India’s commercial space ecosystem, positioning Skyroot as a global player in rapid, on-demand satellite launches. Modi’s call underscored the national significance of the achievement, blending technological triumph with cultural symbolism and youthful ambition.

Agencies