Bengaluru: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairperson Dr Kailasavadivoo Sivan won the hearts for his response during an interview with a Tamil channel. 

Sivan was asked about if there was anything he had to say as a Tamilian to the rest of the Tamilians. To which a candid Sivan responded, "First of all, I am Indian".

He further explained, "In ISRO, people from every region speaking various languages work together and contribute. But I am grateful to all my brothers who applaud me,” he said. 

The interview allegedly took place in January 2018. However, after Chandrayaan 2 and the frantic search from Vikram Lander, the old went viral once again.

Sivan's statement was roundly applauded on social media and netizens praised him for his humility.

But there were some people who slammed the ISRO chief saying, "He’s an Indian only because of his Tamil identity and apparently, that’s his primary identity. There’s no specific identity called Indian identity," a Twitter user wrote.