Astronaut's Traffic Jibe: Why Bengaluru's Chaos Reignites Infrastructure Debate

Shukla made the remark during the Future Makers Conclave at BTS 2025 on Thursday. Before beginning his presentation, he said, “I am coming all the way from the other side of Bengaluru, from Marathahalli, so I have spent twice the time that I am going to be spending on this presentation with you. You have to look at the commitment that I have.”

The audience burst into laughter as soon as he mentioned Marathahalli, a locality notorious for its narrow roads and severe traffic bottlenecks. Shukla too joined in the laughter.

Responding to the remark, IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge later said the government would ensure that such an experience is not repeated.

In a light-hearted comment, he said, “Like Shubhanshu Shukla mentioned, it was easier for him to get from space to Bengaluru, but getting from Marathahalli to the venue (Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre) was a little difficult. We will ensure that doesn’t happen again.”

The development is being seen as an embarrassment for the Congress-led government, which is already grappling with a leadership crisis.

Opposition parties are likely to use the remark to attack the government over poor traffic management yet again. It may be recalled that several IT industry leaders recently raised concerns about the government’s failure to address Bengaluru’s traffic situation.

Group Captain Shukla is an officer and pilot in the Indian Air Force. He was among the four crew members who flew aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on June 25 as part of the Axiom-4 mission, returning to Earth on July 15 after spending about 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Students of S.R.N. Mehta CBSE School in Kalaburagi -- winners of the first prize in the 8th-grade category of the National Space Society (NSS) Space Settlement Design Competition 2025, organised by NASA Ames Research Center -- recently visited NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and had the opportunity to meet Shukla at the Future Makers Conclave. They were accompanied by Kalaburagi district in-charge minister Priyank Kharge.

Shukla also showcased a video of how India looks from space. As the view moves north, bright clusters of lights and the towering Himalayas come into sight. He described how India’s cities appear spectacular from orbit and presented stunning visuals of sunrise as the sun’s rays illuminate the landscape. He also showed how Indian cities look at night, noting that Bengaluru glitters vividly when viewed from space.

- IANS