“AI Is the Youth’s Key to Viksit Bharat 2047, Says Indian Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla”

Indian astronaut and IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has said that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play a major role in helping India’s youth achieve the country’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Speaking at the Delhi AI Grind event in New Delhi, he explained how deeply AI is connected to today’s space missions and how it can empower young innovators.

Shukla, who spent 20 days aboard a space station carrying out scientific experiments, said AI supported almost every part of his mission. He mentioned that AI helped in earth observation, managing experiments on the station, and reducing the workload of astronauts during long missions. According to him, space missions generate huge amounts of data, and AI helps make sense of it much faster. “We had almost 20–22 terabytes of data. I myself had about 6 TB. Traditionally, it takes a lot of time to analyze such data manually, but AI can significantly reduce that effort,” he said.

Calling AI a “practical instrument for national progress,” he encouraged young Indians to adopt AI tools and use them to solve real-world problems. He said this will help the country move closer to its long-term vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047. Shukla also recalled Dr. Vikram Sarabhai’s belief that India must be “second to none” in using advanced technologies for society’s benefit, adding that AI has brought India to another important turning point.

Colleges in India are already moving in this direction by including AI in aeronautical and aerospace engineering programmes. Karunya University in Coimbatore offers a B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering with a specialization in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Vel Tech University provides an option to study aeronautical engineering with AI/ML as a specialization. Some institutions, like MLR Institute of Technology, include subjects such as “Fundamentals of Artificial Intelligence” as part of their aeronautical engineering curriculum.

Shukla’s remarks reflect how astronauts contribute to the country beyond their missions. Their work helps India advance in science, strengthens ISRO’s space programme, inspires young students to pursue careers in technology, builds international cooperation, and drives the development of new technologies in robotics, sensors, propulsion, satellite imaging, and AI. Human space missions also support the growth of India’s space economy, which will become increasingly important in the coming decades.

Shukla said that as India invests in AI and space technology, the younger generation will play the most important role in shaping the nation’s future. “AI is a tool for younger generations to accomplish the dream of Viksit Bharat 2047,” he said.