India, Aug. 19 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed India's upcoming space projects, the challenges of life in orbit, and the potential of indigenous research to aid both astronauts and food security on Earth during his meeting with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla on Monday, after he returned from the Axiom space mission in collaboration with NASA.

In the video released of the interaction, the Prime Minister says, "The most important task before us will be to have a large pool of astronauts. We should have 40-50 people ready," noting that Shukla's journey would inspire children to believe that becoming an astronaut is now a realistic career path in India.

Shukla agreed, saying, "In today's Bharat, the child does not merely dream, h...