“The sky was never the limit”: Shubhanshu Shukla motivates IIT Hyderabad students
HYDERABAD: “The sky was never the limit, not for me, not for you, and not for India,” said Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, urging students at IIT Hyderabad to see themselves as the architects of the country’s next giant leap in space.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla captivated students at the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) with India’s bold vision for human space exploration, from constructing the Bharatiya Antariksh Station to sending an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040. His talk was part of the institute’s inspiring Extra Mural Lectures (EML) initiative.
Shukla, a leading astronaut and part of the Axiom-4 mission, spoke to a packed auditorium. He outlined India’s goals in space, including building the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and sending an Indian to the Moon. Importantly, he told students that India needs new engineers, scientists, and innovators to make these dreams real. He urged them to learn across disciplines, stay curious, and keep going, so they can help build India’s space future.
Building on this call to action, Shukla told students to see themselves as future leaders of India’s space programme. He said India needs people who keep learning and develop expertise in new fields like space engineering.
Dream beyond the Sky
Summing up his vision, Shukla told the students, “India is entering an exciting phase in space. We will build the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and send an Indian to the Moon if today’s students decide to create that future. Don’t just see it as a chance to join India’s space programme, see it as your responsibility to make it happen. The sky was never the limit for me, for you, or for India.”
Prof. B S Murty, Director of IIT Hyderabad, welcomed Shukla and said the institute felt privileged to host him. Murty called Shukla’s path from the Air Force to space a story of courage and discipline. He said talks like this help students learn beyond the classroom and inspire them to dream bigger, innovate, and help India grow.
The session ended with a lively Q&A. Students asked about India’s human spaceflight programme, how astronauts are selected, life in microgravity, and new space technologies. They also wanted to know about careers in India’s growing space sector. Shukla shared photos of India from orbit, giving students a special view of the nation and reinforcing the spirit of exploration.
IIT Hyderabad held the event as part of its Extra Mural Lectures (EML) series. This programme brings leaders from many fields to meet students. EML aims to encourage leadership, ethics, perseverance, and a broad outlook among future innovators. Students, faculty, and researchers all joined in enthusiastically.
