Two Indians whose work has taken the country to the frontiers of space and engineering were named 'Science Icons of the Year' at NDTV's Indian of the Year Awards 2025 on Friday.
Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India's first astronaut to travel to the International Space Station, and Professor G Madhavi Latha, the geotechnical expert who played a pivotal role in building the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir, were recognised for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla scripted history earlier this year when he became the first Indian to visit the International Space Station, flying as part of the Axiom-4 mission. The 18-day mission marked a significant milestone for India's human spaceflight ambitions and came decades after Rakesh Sharma's landmark journey aboard a Soviet spacecraft in 1984.
Shukla returned to India from the United States on August 17 after completing the mission.
Sharing the Science Icon honour with Shukla was Professor G Madhavi Latha, whose work underpins one of India's most ambitious infrastructure projects -- the Chenab Bridge, now the world's highest railway bridge.
The bridge, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rises over the Chenab river and forms a critical link in the 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project. Approved in 2003, the railway line is designed to provide all-weather connectivity to the Kashmir Valley, a long-standing strategic and developmental goal.
"First of all, I would like to dedicate this award to Indian Railways for their vision, commitment and hard work in fulfilling our country's dream of connecting Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country by train. And I also share this award with every engineer who has contributed to this iconic national project," said G Madhavi Latha.
Professor Latha, a senior faculty member at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, was associated with the Chenab Bridge project for 17 years as a geotechnical consultant.
