New Delhi, July 20 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday took a veiled swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi while lauding India's growing space capabilities, saying he was referring to "28-year-old youngsters" behind the success of startup Skyroot Aerospace and "not any 56-year-old 'youngster'."

Addressing reporters ahead of the commencement of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Prime Minister highlighted India's recent achievements in the space sector and praised the country's young innovators.

"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...