New wave of curiosity about space among children; over 200 space startups have come up: PM Modi

new delhi: hailing astronaut shubhanshu shukla's return from the international space station (iss), prime minister narendra modi on sunday said a new wave of curiosity about space has awakened among children, and noted that over 200 startups have emerged in the country's space sector.inhis monthly mann ki baat radio address, modi said the path to a developed india by 2047 goes through self-reliance, with the cornerstone of atmanirbhar bharat being “vocal for local.”the prime minister said much has happened in recent weeks in sports, science, and culture that makes every indian proud.“recently, there was a lot of talk over shubhanshu shukla's return from space. as soon as he landed safely on earth, people jumped with joy. the entire country was filled with pride,” he said.recalling the chandrayaan-3 landing in august 2023, he said it sparked a new curiosity about science and space among children, many of whom now aspire to become space scientists.referring to the inspire-manak abhiyan, modi said it promotes innovation among children, with five students selected per school to pitch new ideas. participation in the initiative has doubled post chandrayaan-3.he said the number of space startups has grown from under 50 five years ago to more than 200 today. “science in 21st-century india is progressing with renewed energy,” he noted.modi also praised indian students who won medals at the international chemistry and mathematical olympiads and said india will host the astronomy and astrophysics olympiad in mumbai next month.highlighting unesco's recognition of 12 maratha forts as world heritage sites, modi narrated their historical significance and paid tribute to chhatrapati shivaji maharaj.he remembered khudiram bose, who was executed at the age of 18 on august 11, 1908, and described august as a month of revolutions, noting the anniversaries of lokmanya tilak, the quit india movement, partition horrors remembrance day (august 14), and independence day.modi also spoke about the swadeshi movement, which began on august 7, 1905, and said national handloom day is celebrated on that day every year. he noted that this year marks a decade of observing it.“textile is not just an economic sector, but a symbol of india's cultural diversity,” modi said, adding that over 3,000 textile startups are currently active, many contributing to india's global handloom identity.he reiterated that atmanirbhar bharat depends on promoting indian-made products and urged people to support local goods.modi also stressed the importance of the swachh bharat mission, which will complete 11 years soon. “it has become a true people's movement. this year, over 4,500 cities and 15 crore people participated in the swachh survey,” he said.