‘Another step towards being a developed nation’: PM Modi commissions INS Vikrant
Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, on Friday, saying it was another step toward India’s development.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, on Friday, saying it was another step toward India’s development.
PM Modi commissioned INS Vikrant in a ceremony at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kerala. Dedicating INS Vikrant to the nations, PM Modi said, “So far, such aircraft carriers were only made by developed countries. India has taken a step towards being a developed country by being part of the league.”
#WATCH | PM Narendra Modi commissions indigenous Aircraft Carrier IAC Vikrant, the largest & most complex warship ever built in India's maritime history, into the Indian Navy at a ceremony in Kochi, Kerala. #INSVikrant pic.twitter.com/8oiQN2AnMg
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2022
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Governor Arif Mohamad Khan and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal were also present at the event.
PM Modi also unveiled the Indian Navy’s new ensign at the event. The new ensign lacks the St George’s Cross and incorporates Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s royal seal.
PM Modi emphasised the massive ship’s indigenisation efforts, including the steel used in its construction.
“The INS Vikrant is more than a war machine; it is proof of India’s skill and talent. It is unique and distinct “Prime Minister Modi stated.
The INS Vikrant, which cost Rs 20,000 crore to build, has a flying deck that is 262 metres long and 62.4 metres wide, enough to cover two football fields. It was built with indigenous equipment and machinery supplied by India’s major industrial houses, as well as over 100 MSMEs.
With the construction of the ‘Vikrant,’ India has joined a select group of nations that have the unique capability of designing and building an aircraft carrier in-house, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France.
With the commissioning of Vikrant, India will have two operational aircraft carriers, which will strengthen the country’s maritime security.
