Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla on Sunday said he grew up as a "shy and reserved" person and while young, he never dreamt of flying to space.

Shukla, who spoke at an IAF event, said he listened to stories of Rakesh Sharma's historic spaceflight, but the dream to travel to space didn't take root early in his life.

"I grew up as a shy and reserved person. We used to hear stories of the spaceflight of Rakesh Sharma in our childhood days," he said.

The astronaut also shared his experience of being part of the recently concluded Axiom 4 mission, which made him the first Indian to travel to the International Space Station (ISS).

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who felicitated the four Gaganyaan astronauts, including Shukla, said the Gaganyaan mission symbolises a "new chapter" in the journey of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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