Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took an apparent swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while congratulating Hyderabad-based space startup Skyroot Aerospace on the successful launch of its rocket, saying the achievement belonged to a team of young innovators with an average age of 28 years and "not some 56-year-old young man".
Speaking in his customary address ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Prime Minister praised India's startup ecosystem and highlighted Skyroot's achievement as a reflection of the country's youthful innovation. He also appealed to the Opposition to ensure that the parliamentary session remains productive.
Referring to the accomplishment, Modi said India's youth had embarked on a new journey in space and noted that the average age of the team behind Skyroot Aerospace was only 28 years. He remarked that it was young innovators who had achieved the milestone, adding that he was "not speaking of a 56-year-old youth."
Although he did not mention Rahul Gandhi by name, the remark was widely seen as a reference to the Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who is 56 years old.
Highlighting the significance of the launch, the Prime Minister said only a handful of countries had witnessed such progress through private enterprise in the space sector. He described the mission as a major success and said it reflected India's growing global stature. According to Modi, the achievement demonstrated that the aspirations and capabilities of the country's youth were as limitless as space itself.
The Prime Minister further said that the past month had witnessed several achievements that had enhanced India's reputation both domestically and internationally.
He said the country had recorded a series of milestones across national, international and space sectors, describing them as moments of pride for every Indian citizen.
Modi also noted that only a few countries possessed similar capabilities in the space sector and said the accomplishment reflected the dedication of India's scientists, engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs and workers, all contributing towards a common national objective.
Linking the success to the government's policy initiatives, the Prime Minister said India's young innovators were benefiting from an environment created through sustained reforms.
He said the country's progress was the result of what he described as the "Reform Express", which had enabled young Indians to demonstrate confidence, innovation and success.
Listing other recent achievements, Modi said a major oil refinery had recently been dedicated to the nation in Rajasthan and that the country's third semiconductor manufacturing facility had also been inaugurated. He further said India had introduced one of the world's most advanced green hydrogen-powered trains, equipped with the most powerful engine and the longest train configuration in its category.
The Prime Minister added that India's economic performance reflected the country's resilience and growing ambitions, noting that the Monsoon Session of Parliament was commencing at a time when the nation had gathered momentum across multiple sectors.
