PM Modi Speaks Directly to the Skyroot Team

Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally spoke with the Skyroot Aerospace team shortly after Vikram-1 successfully reached orbit on Saturday, describing the launch as "a defining moment in India's space journey." In a post on X, Modi said the growing participation of the private sector was "opening new frontiers and accelerating innovation," adding that the achievement would "encourage countless youngsters to dream bigger and innovate fearlessly."

Speaking to the Skyroot founders over a call from Sriharikota, Modi recalled the early scepticism within government circles when the decision to open the space sector to private players was first proposed. "There were a lot of concerns that were raised when the idea of opening up the space sector to the private ecosystem was first brought to me. Now my team will also have to agree that India's youngsters are to be trusted," he said. Addressing co-founders Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka directly, Modi remarked, "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."

Jitendra Singh: 'Credit Goes to PM Modi'

Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh, speaking to ANI shortly after the launch, called it "a proud moment for every Indian" and credited Modi's decision five to six years ago to open Sriharikota's gates to private players. "Had he not taken that courageous, out-of-the-box decision about five or six years back to unlock the space sector... we would not have witnessed this event today," Singh said, adding that India's space economy had grown from a modest base to nearly $9 billion, with projections of reaching $40-45 billion within a decade.

In a separate post on X, Singh congratulated the Skyroot team, calling the mission "a major milestone for India's expanding private space sector" and "yet another significant step towards strengthening India's position as a global space power." He also noted that Skyroot had become India's first space-sector unicorn within just five years of the reforms taking effect.

Amit Shah and Other Leaders Join In

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated the Skyroot team, writing that "India's space ambition reaches new horizon," and describing the launch as "a firm step towards realising Modi Ji's vision of making space more accessible." The mission, named 'Mission Aagaman', carried multiple payloads including a lab-grown diamond and a handwritten postcard from the Prime Minister reading "Vande Mataram."

Recognition for ISRO and IN-SPACe

Alongside the political reaction, officials also acknowledged the technical support provided by ISRO and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which facilitated the launch and ground testing operations, along with technical consultancy and round-the-clock safety surveillance throughout the mission. Government statements described this institutional support as central to enabling a private company to execute a fully successful orbital launch on its very first attempt.

A Reform Five Years in the Making

Saturday's launch is being widely framed by government leaders as validation of the 2020 space sector reforms, which first allowed private companies to undertake space activities that had previously been the exclusive domain of ISRO. Officials noted that India had gone from having a single space startup at the time of the reforms to more than 400 today, with Skyroot's successful orbital debut cited as concrete proof that the policy shift is translating into real technological achievement.

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