Indian Navy to get first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant next month

New Delhi: The Indian Navy is set to get its first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) 'INS Vikrant' in May. Director (Technical) Bejoy Bhasker of Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) informed this in a press conference. "We will hand over the IAC to Indian Navy next month after which the ship will take the name of INS Vikrant. India's first aircraft carrier will be commissioned on Independence Day in August this year," Bhasker said.

The Director (Technical) mentioned that the final sea trial was scheduled for April but faced a slight delay. India's first indigenous aircraft carrier had begun its sea trials on August 4 last year.

The Aircraft Carrier is 60 percent indigenously made, while the remaining 40 percent of its components are imported. The Indigenous construction of INS Vikrant has led to growth in indigenous design and construction capabilities besides the development of a large number of ancillary industries, with employment opportunities for 2000 CSL personnel and about 12000 employees in ancillary industries. Over 76% of indigenous content towards procurement of equipment, besides work by CSL and their subcontractors, is being directly invested back into the Indian economy.

Around 550 Indian firms including about 100 MSMEs are registered with CSL, who are providing various services for the construction of IAC. The warship has been built at a cost of around Rs 23,000 crore and its construction propelled India into a select group of countries having capabilities to build state-of-the-art aircraft carriers.

It will operate MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, and MH-60R multi-role helicopters.

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