G Madhavi Latha, Shubhanshu Shukla Win NDTV's 'Science Icon Of The Year' Awards

Professor G. Madhavi Latha and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla won NDTV's 'Science Icon Of The Year' awards. Both won the awards for their incredible achievements after years of dedication and perseverance in the field of science.

Latha won the award for her successful efforts in the construction of the Chenab Bridge in June 2025. Latha is a geotechnical and rock-engineering expert at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

She has dedicated 17 years as a consultant to the construction of the bridge, which is the world's highest railway bridge at 359  metres above the riverbed. This dwarfs the Eiffel Tower by 35 metres.

Latha has been praised for her a pivotal role in the geotechnical design and foundational engineering for the iconic Chenab Bridge as there were tremendous challenges including navigating the extreme Himalayan terrain.

The Chenab Bridge was approved in 2003 and inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in June 2025. The bridge faced notoriously harsh terrain — steep Himalayan slopes, fractured rock, hidden cavities, high winds (over 220 km/h), and seismic activity — making it one of India’s most complex civil-engineering projects.

Latha said, "Would like to dedicate this award to Indian Railways for the engineering achievement."

Shukla created history by becoming the first Indian ever to set foot on the International Space Station (ISS) on June 26, 2025. Shukla piloted the Axiom-4 Mission which safely returned to Earth on July 15.

He is the second Indian to visit space after Rakesh Sharma, who flew aboard a Russian Soyuz in 1984.

Shukla talked about his preparation for his sojourn to space and back. "Very thankful to my family, they have been extremely supportive. You don't go to space alone," he said.

One being asked about being blasted off into space, Shukla said, "The sheer scale and magnitude of this was totally different. The minute the engines came on, it was really powerful and extremely fast. From zero kmph to 28,000 kmph in about eight and a half minutes was very new to me despite training for this."

And on whether he would want to go back to space, Shukla joked, "I would take any chance to go back."