India has commissioned its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier, Vikrant, at a ceremony in the southern state of Kerala.

India has commissioned its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier, Vikrant, at a ceremony in the southern state of Kerala

On Friday morning, India has commissioned its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier, the 45,000-tonne Vikrant, at a ceremony in the southern state of Kerala.
It is a moment that was 13 years in the making.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the carrier "a floating city" and the "symbol of indigenous potential".
The vessel - 262m (860ft) long and almost 60m (197ft) tall - is the first aircraft carrier India has designed and built on its own. It has the capacity to hold 30 fighter planes and helicopters.
The name Vikrant (which means courageous) is also special - it was what India's first aircraft carrier, bought from the UK and commissioned in 1961, was called. The first INS Vikrant was a major symbol of national pride and played an important role in several military operations - including the 1971 war with Pakistan - before being decommissioned in 1997.

After Friday's commissioning, the new Vikrant will sail across both Indian and international waters, accompanied by a fleet of frigates, destroyers and submarines to protect it.

GOPSAI AVINANDAN SANGHA

Editor