Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the successful Mars Orbiter Mission 'Mangalyaan' and called it a testament of India's talent.
Addressing Indian Americans at the Madison Square Garden here, Prime Minister Modi said, "In Ahmedabad, one spends Rs ten to travel one kilometre in a rickshaw. We travelled a distance of 65 crore kilometres to Mars, and spent Rs. seven per kilometre. This is the talent that we Indians have."
Recognizing the fact that the mission was completely indigenous, the Prime Minister added, "India is the first nation to have reached Mars in its first attempt."
Prime Minister Modi also joked about India-U.S. relations being carried out on the red planet, saying, "America and India are also talking on Mars... the U.S. reached on the September 22 and India on September 24."
The Prime Minister also hailed the cost-effectiveness of the Mars mission.
"Our Mars budget was smaller than the budget of a Hollywood film," he said.