Space technology startup Skyroot Aerospace on Monday shared an X post thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for highlighting the company's achievement during his remarks ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, where he took an veiled swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
However, the tweet stood deleted for a while only to be reposted again. It is unknown whether the temporary deletion was a technical glitch or for some other reason as its original intention was more political in nature strictly in today's context.
The post expresses gratitude to the Prime Minister for recognising the startup's young team after he referred to Skyroot while showcasing India's growing capabilities in the private space sector.
"Honoured to see the spotlight on the Skyroot team in the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi's address during today's inaugural Monsoon Session of Parliament. His mention of our team's average age, just 28 years, was a powerful reminder of what young Indian engineers can achieve when ambition meets opportunity. We'll keep building from India, for the world," the company had posted on X before removing it.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the commencement of Parliament's Monsoon Session, Modi hailed India's recent milestones in the space sector, including the successful orbital mission by Skyroot Aerospace.
"Just before last year's Monsoon Session, an Indian citizen reached the International Space Station, and the day before yesterday, India's young startup achieved a very big milestone. There are very few countries in the world where such private ventures have taken place, and India's youth have taken a new flight into space. It is a very big success," the Prime Minister said.
In an apparent dig at Rahul Gandhi, Modi added, "The young people working in this 'Skyroot' startup, I have been told the average age of their entire team is only 28 years. Such youngsters have accomplished this work; I am not talking about any 56-year-old 'youngster,' I am talking about these startups in the country with an average age of 28 that have planted India's flag in space."
The remarks came days after Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 Test Flight-1 successfully reached orbit, marking the maiden flight of India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket. The mission completed its final burn and deployed its payloads into a nearly 450-km orbit, making India the third country in the world to demonstrate private orbital launch capability.
Prime Minister Modi also congratulated Skyroot Aerospace on the landmark achievement, describing it as a major milestone for India's expanding private space ecosystem. He further expressed hope that both the ongoing monsoon season and the Monsoon Session of Parliament would remain productive and contribute to the nation's progress.
