India's first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, which will be named INS Vikrant once commissioned, began its sea trials off the coast of Kochi on Wednesday.
The landmark achievement will put India in the list of only a few countries that have the capacity to manufacture aircraft carriers.
Calling it a “proud and historic day for India”, the Navy in a statement said, “Reincarnated Vikrant sailed for her maiden sea trials in the 50th year of her illustrious predecessor’s key role in victory in the 1971 war.”
The Navy also dubbed the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier as the “largest and most complex warship ever to be designed and built in India”. The achievement, it said, is a proud and historical moment in “our quest for Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives”.