Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station, on Sunday encouraged students to contribute towards achieving the Centre’s goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

Speaking at the launch of the Delhi government’s AI Grind Challenge, Shukla discussed his space mission and underlined the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in space technology.

“You are the future. I am giving you a call to action. You have to work towards realising the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he told students.

Shukla became the first Indian to visit the ISS earlier this year as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He returned to India on August 17 after an 18-day stay in space.

He said that the presence of senior government leaders at the event reflected the focus on emerging technologies and added that such initiatives support the broader national vision.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said Shukla serves as an inspiration for young people. She said India is shaping a new global identity in the fields of AI and technological innovation and said the AI Grind initiative would support changes in the capital’s education system.

The programme will convert classrooms into innovation labs where students will work on AI-led solutions for civic challenges. The government said nearly five lakh students are expected to benefit.

According to an official statement, the initiative will reach over five lakh learners across more than 1,000 schools, colleges, ITIs and universities, aiming to build foundational AI capability among Delhi’s youth.

Education Minister Ashish Sood said the initiative aligns with “India’s AI Decade”. He said students will identify civic and industry problems and collaborate with government and industry partners to develop practical solutions.

Over the next four months, Delhi AI Grind will train 5,000 teachers as certified AI mentors, support the development of 1,000 student-led prototypes, select 50 AI Youth Ambassadors and publish a National Innovation Compendium showcasing student ideas.

The programme is open to participants aged 10 to 25 across school, college and open categories, covering ten sectors including transport, health, food systems, tourism, governance, energy, digital education, climate and environment, water and waste management, and public services.

Inputs from PTI

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