Kerela, Sept 2nd,2022: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday morning commissioned INS Vikrant into the Indian Navy at the Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the largest and most complex warship built in Indian maritime history.
The new Naval Ensign was also unfurled in Kochi today.
INS Vikrant has been built with a high degree of automation for machinery operation, ship navigation, and survivability, and has been designed to accommodate an assortment of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft with state-of-the-art facilities. The country’s first indigenously-built warship is a landmark event for the navy.
Besides Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, and Governor Arif Mohammad Khan were also present.
Modi received the Guard of Honor from the navy as he arrived for the Commission ceremony in Kochi.
Expressing joy over the Indian-built aircraft carrier, Modi said “Today, India joins the countries that build such large aircraft carriers with indigenous technology. INS Vikrant is an example of the government’s thrust to making India’s defense sector self-reliant.”
He further added that Vikrant is not just a warship, it is the evidence of the hard work, talent, impact, and commitment of India in the 21st century.
Modi said INS Vikrant would be having women warriors as a sign of a new India where there would be “no barriers for India’s daughters just like the waves of the sea”.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also remarked that “Indian Navy is always ready as the first responder to national and international level of crises. With the commissioning of INS Vikrant, the capability of the Indian Navy will be further strengthened”.
The new Naval Ensign called ‘Nishaan’, shedding the colonial past was also unveiled today. The Ashoka emblem sits atop an anchor at the center while the tricolor has been retained on the top left. The central seal with the national emblem and naval crest is embossed on a blue-colored seal inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji’s fleet.
Dedicating the aircraft to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Modi said, “Till today Indian Naval flags carried a sign of slavery. This has been replaced with a new one inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”
PM Modi and the other dignitaries were also present for the hoisting ceremony of the new flag after commissioning INS Vikrant into the Indian Navy.
