Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali on Monday aboard India’s indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, spending the festival with Indian Navy personnel off the Goa coast.
This year’s celebration continues his decade-long tradition of marking the festival with members of India’s armed forces.
Heaping praise on INS Vikrant during his address, PM Modi said that only the aircraft carrier’s name was enough for Pakistan to have “sleepless nights”.
India had launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, a fortnight after 26 civilians were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.
India’s first home-built aircraft carrier
Commissioned in 2022, INS Vikrant marks India’s entry into an elite group of nations capable of designing and building their own aircraft carriers. Built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, it showcases India’s growing naval and industrial strength.
Named after a 1971 war hero
INS Vikrant is named after its legendary predecessor that played a crucial role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, which led to the liberation of Bangladesh. The name ‘Vikrant’ means “courageous” or “victorious.”
A floating city at sea
Described by the Navy as a “city on the move,” INS Vikrant spans 262 metres in length and 62 metres in width, roughly the size of two football fields placed end to end and 18 floors tall. It houses a crew of nearly 1,600, a 16-bed hospital, 2,400 compartments, and carries 250 tankers of fuel.
Massive flight operations capability
The aircraft carrier can host up to 30 aircraft, including MiG-29K fighter jets and various helicopters. Its hangar space alone is as large as two Olympic-size swimming pools, enabling extensive flight and maintenance operations.
Fully operational and battle-ready
After years of trials and clearances, INS Vikrant achieved full operational status last year. Now under the Western Naval Command, it stands as a fully capable warship, ready to handle complex naval missions across the Indian Ocean region.
