Modi commissions India-made carrier INS Vikrant, says Indo-Pacific has been long ignored

Security of the Indo-Pacific region is a major priority for India, with dedicated efforts on to strengthen the navy and increase its capability, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, after commissioning the nation’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant. “In the past, security concerns in the Indo-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean have long been ignored.

But today, this area is a big defence priority of the country for us. That's why we are working in every direction from increasing the budget for the navy to increasing its capability,” the Prime Minister said.

Making the case that a strong and capable India will pave the way for a more secure and safer world, the PM said the INS Vikrant is a symbol of indigenous potential, resources and skills. “Today, India has joined those countries in the world, which manufacture such a huge aircraft carrier with indigenous technology. Today, INS Vikrant has filled the country with a new confidence, has created a news confidence in the country,” he said.


Defence minister Rajnath Singh said the Vikrant — the largest ever warship built in India — is a testament to “our resolve to ensure the safety and security of the nation in the next 25 years”. He said the commissioning of the ship is an unprecedented achievement that reflects Indian shipbuilding prowess.

“As India is moving rapidly towards a $5 trillion economy, our share in global trade will increase in the coming times. If the share will increase, a large part of it will inevitably be through maritime routes. In such a situation, INS Vikrant will prove to be crucial to safeguard our security and economic interests,” Singh said.

The new Vikrant has been named after India’s first ever aircraft carrier. The commissioning ceremony was attended by special veteran invitees who had taken part in the 1971 operations to liberate Bangladesh in which the original Vikrant was deployed.

The Prime Minister said the Vikrant will see a large number of female personnel onboard as the navy has decided to open all its branches for recruitment without a gender bias. “With the immense power of the ocean, boundless female power, it is becoming the lofty identity of the new India,” he said.

Designed by the Indian Navy's inhouse Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the Vikrant has been India’s most ambitious shipbuilding project. The navy has already floated its requirement of another indigenous carrier, but permissions are yet to be received from the government to go ahead.