Shubhanshu Shukla and G Madhavi Latha Honoured as NDTV Science Icons of the Year 2025

Two outstanding Indians whose achievements have pushed the nation to new heights in space exploration and engineering excellence were honoured as ‘Science Icons of the Year’ at the NDTV Indian of the Year Awards 2025, held on Friday.

The award was presented to Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), and Professor G Madhavi Latha, a renowned geotechnical engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla made history earlier this year by becoming the first Indian to visit the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 mission. The 18-day mission marked a major milestone in India’s human spaceflight journey, coming nearly four decades after Rakesh Sharma’s historic spaceflight in 1984. Shukla returned to India from the United States on August 17 after successfully completing the mission.

Sharing the honour was Professor G Madhavi Latha, whose expertise was instrumental in the successful completion of the Chenab Railway Bridge, now recognized as the tallest railway bridge in the world. The bridge, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a key component of the 272-kilometre Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, aimed at ensuring year-round rail connectivity to the Kashmir Valley.

Accepting the award, Professor Latha dedicated the recognition to Indian Railways and to every engineer who contributed to the iconic national infrastructure project. A senior faculty member at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, she served as a geotechnical consultant on the Chenab Bridge project for nearly 17 years.