New Delhi, 28 June

The 'Bharat mata ki jai' slogan reverberated on the International Space Station as Prime Minister Narendra Modi told astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla that his space travel was the first step towards India's Gaganyaan mission.

Interacting with Shukla, who is aboard the ISS orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 400km, Modi said that the Lucknow-born astronaut's historic journey was not just limited to space but would add fresh momentum to the march towards 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India).

Shukla said his travel to the space station was not just a personal feat but a collective achievement of the entire nation.

"When I saw India for the first time from space, it appeared much larger and grander than on the map," Shukla told the Prime Minister in a video link from the space station.

"You can truly feel the sense of oneness, there are no borders, no lines. It feels as if this entire Earth is our home and we are all its citizens," Shukla said.