It is of utter Importance to India. It will keep India in the global scientific era. Its a Proud moment for all Indians. Those who say India should provide clean water then keep it in mind India was once the richest country and we cannot afford to loose our Independence again. We need to go ahead.

Rajeev, Delhi, India

Those indians who oppose Indias moon mission are FOOLs and anti nationals....
We spend mere 386 crores for this...which will benefit us in future ...
Compared to the unwanted and unjust spending by the government for minority appeasement and votebank politics, this amount is nothing...

soman, bangalore, india

Why spend so much just to admire the beauty of moon? For pride? It’s for countries matured in development. China seems to have reached that stage so it can afford. But not India!

Let India purify its drinking water and provide sanitation for its people first, then sing “Moonlight and Roses".

Veerappan, Bangalore,

Please India - when these photos are beamed back to earth let us all see them without the 'doctoring' the previous images of the Moon were put through.
We have a right to view what is actually up there This will dispel or prove rumours ?? of remains of glass towers and alien bases!!

Beth, Downham Market, England

The space exploration is also important for India, as it handles other issues and problems. It is doing these space programmes with very cost effective. In next 20 to 30 years, there will be lot more to come from India in terms of space exploration.

Sri, Guntur, India

At any point of time, each country is at a different stage of development.

When India was the richest country in the world Western countries were in Dark Ages. Western countries have now completed the cycle and are declining now. By 2100s, India may reach the pinnacle. Development is cyclic.

KM, Toronto, Canada

India is certainly ambitious; it will be interesting to see if she will be successful…

Wade, Del Rio, USA

Great news! Now how about some clean water to the masses?

@Shashidhar, Udupi, India

Obviously you haven't been reading the many anti-China articles then. Victim complex, I imagine.

Howard, Manchester,

For all you wonder why waste od money..its all for energy..in search of energy.the renewed interest in moon from all international players are in search of He3.To remove proverty we have to stop sending oil money to Arab's.Think positively..

Jack, Portsmouth, USA

India must go ahead with its space program. As for the poor people starving, I feel the Queen of England should give up all her wealth (stolen from India) and tell all her native British subjects to donate all their money to India and serve India for the next 500 years to help the poor people.

Wilhelm Lofgren, Stockholm, Sweden

THIS IS A SHEER WASTE OF MONEY.
I for one have already stopped giving charity to any nation state that wastes it's money on space exploration or nuclear weapons. Be it India, Pakistan or China.

Let them cut their political phallus projects and feed their many many poor before taking western cash

Ethan, UK, UK

Its Very Important project for India's all round progress in all streams of technology

Ram Charan Teja, Hyderabad, India

Now U.S.A. and Britain are under severe recession, they should stop their space research and all other so called spendthrift researches. And divert those billions to pay for the bank loans and save their institutions from crumbling.

Sumit, New Delhi, India

Money cannot be spent on food alone. Part of the money needs to be invested to make more money. I hope all economist know that, then why do they make silly statements that its waste of money.

Dev Kripa Roy, Noida, India

Gurj's and Peter's comments reflect the biased thinking when it comes to India. Are there no poor people in China ? (Without knickers !!).The only difference is that China hides them behind the facade of modernity like the olympics.I dont see similar comments when it comes to china.

Shashidhar, Udupi, India

Great job India , its heartening to see such bold adventures undertaken, I wish one day the USA and Russia will seek cooperation from India for space research.

Bhaskar Gollapudi, London, UK

Good luck. I hope all goes well. Will there be any on-line images?

Paul, Muncie, USA

The comment that millions live below poverty and yet the country is wasting millions which could feed those millions is that classic school of thinking by the british colonial mindset. Wake up. Why is USA wooing India? NASA and silicon valley companies need those Indian scientists and mathematicians

Nilan, Nairobi, Kenya

Very exciting stuff. With a 3D Atlas of the moon, we'll be one step closer to a lunar base.

Anon., Anonville, Anonland

VERY WELL DONE ISRO.
Media's role however in all this is very intriguing...

Ashish, Mumbai, India

"Fur coats and no knickers"!
By that reasoning we'd forever be improving our agriculture and nothing else.
The development programs are multi-pronged these days, we can't relinquish one for another. Of course, there is a need to prioritize and we are doing that fairly well. 47m is not "billions"!

rakesh, Gurgaon, India

It is easier than trying to control the traffic in Bombay.

Joe, london, UK

India should not race with china in this issue.If there is distinct advantage in the Chandryaan project then carry on.If there is no distinct advantage then abort it.Feeding the needy indians is more important.Partial involvement can be done either joining hands with Russia or America.

baba kumar, Bay area, USA

Indeed a small step, but a giant leap for Indian space research.

charles, bangalore, India

india is one of the countries which will try its best to fit in in the modern day world at any cost, even if it means betraying its natives and its own soil....india has done this many times in the past and will continue to do so....the rich will become richer and the poor will get poorer...

Gurj Singh, Birmingham, England

Parts of India suffer from terrible starvation poor to no health care impoverished street urchins not seen in the west since Dickens was a lad and they want to spend Billions to develop a space programme.
The term Fur coat and no knickers comes to mind .

Peter, Vancouver.BC, Canada

There is nothing more to discover there in Moon. Space exploration of USA and USSR have documented every bits if that empty land. just like doing the same home work again and again for fun! It may boost the national pride...I dont think indias moon exploration will add anything to science...

Sony Joseph, Manjeri, India

........as it struggles to catch up with China in a 21st-century Asian version of the Cold War space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.

When the WESTERN MEDIA is going to STOP fiddling with China and India? India and China is NOT stupid.

Uma Shankar, UK,

The new India-USA strategic cooperation will rocket India , sooner than later to heights in space tech. We got all it takes- technical manpower; money; collaborations; and experience.

sriram srirangam, delhi, india

go asia go. i look to india's space probe

Larry Tan, Vancouver, Canada