India commissioned its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier, the 262-metre INS Vikrant, on Friday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned the warship at a state-owned facility in the south of the country, according to Reuters. INS Vikrant, the largest of its kind built in India, can accommodate a crew of about 1,600 and 30 aircraft.
Speaking on the occasion, Modi termed the launch a historic moment and said that India has joined an elite group of nation that can manufacture such ships indigenously. He said that the country was working with all its might to become self-reliant, adding that security concerns in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region were a major defence priority for the country.
India employs 1.38 million personnel in its armed forces. Most are deployed on borders with nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and China.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned the warship at a state-owned facility in the south of the country, according to Reuters. INS Vikrant, the largest of its kind built in India, can accommodate a crew of about 1,600 and 30 aircraft.
Speaking on the occasion, Modi termed the launch a historic moment and said that India has joined an elite group of nation that can manufacture such ships indigenously. He said that the country was working with all its might to become self-reliant, adding that security concerns in the Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean region were a major defence priority for the country.
India employs 1.38 million personnel in its armed forces. Most are deployed on borders with nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and China.