Kochi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday September 2 commissioned INS Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier that was both designed and built indigenously. PM Modi commissioned the Rs. 20,000 Crore carrier at a function held at Kochi’s Cochin Shipyard Limited. With this, India joins a small group of countries with the ability to build and design an aircraft carrier domestically.
INS Vikrant is 262 metres long and 62 metres wide. MiG-29K fighter jets and helicopters are among the 30 aircraft it is capable of carrying. A crew of around 1,600 people may work on the warship.
PM Modi said that INS Vikrant is the pride of every Indian and challenge are large, obstacles are many, then the answer is INS Vikrant. “Vikrant is a unique reflection of India becoming self-reliant,” he said.
During the ceremony, PM Modi unveiled a plaque to mark the induction of INS Vikrant to the Navy, which was given the name of its predecessor who was crucial in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. He also unveiled the new Naval Ensign (Nishaan) at the event, erasing the colonial past. The new insignia honours India’s long maritime legacy.
The octagonal shape with twin golden borders draws inspiration from the seal of the great Indian emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, whose visionary maritime outlook established a credible naval fleet,” the navy said in a video showcasing the new ensign.
#INSVikrant trends 4th on Twitter
India celebrated this incredible achievement by sharing their joy via social media. With over 13,000 tweets, #INSVikrant is trending fourth on Twitter.
PM Modi wrote on his Twitter account, “A historic day for India! Words will not be able to describe the feeling of pride when I was on board INS Vikrant yesterday.”
A historic day for India!
Words will not be able to describe the feeling of pride when I was on board INS Vikrant yesterday. pic.twitter.com/vBRCl308C9
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 3, 2022
Former President Ram Nath Kovind said that India is on a transformational path. “#INSVIKRANT is the example of Atmanirbhar Bharat or Self-reliant India. Congratulations to fellow citizens on this historic occasion,” he added.
Taking it to Twitter Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “We are now at par with USA, UK, Russia, China & France, having capacity to indigenously build an aircraft carrier, equipped with state-of-the-art features. Jai Hind.”
Proud moment as PM @narendramodi Ji commissions largest ship ever built in India’s maritime history INS Vikrant. We are now at par with USA, UK, Russia, China & France, having capacity to indigenously build an aircraft carrier, equipped with state-of-the-art features. Jai Hind. pic.twitter.com/OycYY4RGVb
— Basavaraj S Bommai (@BSBommai) September 2, 2022
Bangalore South MP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leader Tejasvi Surya noted that “From INS Vikrant in 1961 to another unveiled today, it shows the long way we came to become ‘Shrestha Bharat’. With 1st indigenously designed & built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, India is on the way to become #AtmaNirbhar in defence. Truly, pride of ‘Made in India.’
Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State for Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways wrote, “The newly commissioned #INSVikrant, by Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi Ji, showcases #Atmanirbhatra.”
The new warship is seen by the Indian Navy as a crucial upgrade to its weaponry. India can now increase its maritime presence by deploying an aircraft carrier along both its eastern and western coasts.
