Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali onboard INS Vikrant with the naval staff off the Goa and Karwar coasts.
Interacting with the naval officials, the Prime Minister expressed his joy at celebrating Diwali with them in their presence. On the occasion, he said, “On one side is the endless sky and horizon, and on the other the giant INS Vikrant, an emblem of sheer power. The sunlight on the sea glinted like our brave soldiers’ Diwali lamps.”
INS Vikrant, India’s first indigenously constructed aircraft carrier, is 262 meters long and displaces close to 45,000 tonnes—quite a bigger and more advanced ship compared to its forerunner.
The vessel has four gas turbines providing an aggregate output of 88 MW, with a top speed of 28 knots. The Ministry of Defence and Cochin Shipyard Limited executed the INS Vikrant project in three contractual phases beginning in 2007, with an estimated cost of ₹20,000 crore. They laid the ship’s keel in 2009 and launched it in 2013.
INS Vikrant showcases India’s self-sufficiency in defense production, with 76% of its components sourced locally. It embodies the nation’s commitment to the “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat” vision and strengthens the Make in India initiative. Its commissioning places India among the select few countries capable of designing and building aircraft carriers on their own.
INS Vikrant: A fortress on sea
India’s advanced aircraft carrier, equipped with the state-of-the-art technological systems for navigation, machinery and survivability. It also accommodates a wide range of aircraft, including the revamped MIG-29Ks, Kamov-31, MH-60R choppers, Advanced Light Helicopterschoppers and naval variants of Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) units.
Prime Minister Modi spent Diwali with soldiers along the Indo-Pak border in Kutch in 2024, continuing his long-standing tradition of celebrating the armed forces on national festivals.
Diwali, which is for five days, starts with Dhanteras and then runs through Naraka Chaturdashi (Chhoti Diwali), the central day of worship for Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha, Govardhan Puja, and ends with Bhai Dooj, when sisters wish for the health and prosperity of their brothers.
