Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent Diwali on Monday with Indian Navy personnel aboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, stationed off the Goa coast.
This marks the tenth consecutive year he has celebrated the festival with members of India’s armed forces, a tradition he began during his first term as Prime Minister.
During his address, Modi praised the capabilities of INS Vikrant, remarking that the ship’s name alone was enough to give Pakistan “sleepless nights.”
The visit comes months after Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives.
India’s First Home-Built Aircraft Carrier
Commissioned in 2022, INS Vikrant represents a major milestone for India’s defense and shipbuilding sectors. Constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited, it places India among a select group of nations capable of designing and building their own aircraft carriers, a feat that underscores the country’s growing naval and industrial strength.
Honoring a Legacy from 1971
The carrier is named after the original INS Vikrant, which played a decisive role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. The name translates to “courageous” or “victorious,” a fitting tribute to its wartime legacy.
A Floating City at Sea
Stretching 262 meters long and 62 meters wide, the ship is roughly the size of two football fields placed end to end and rises the height of an 18-story building. It houses a crew of 1,600, a 16-bed hospital, and 2,400 compartments, and carries enough fuel to fill 250 tankers. The Navy often describes it as a “city on the move.”
Designed for Air Power
INS Vikrant can carry up to 30 aircraft, including MiG-29K fighter jets and multiple types of helicopters. Its hangar alone is the size of two Olympic swimming pools, allowing for large-scale flight and maintenance operations.
Fully Operational and Combat-Ready
After extensive trials and testing, the carrier became fully operational last year. Now part of the Western Naval Command, it is equipped and ready for complex missions across the Indian Ocean region, a major boost to India’s maritime defense capabilities.
