INS Vikrant will significantly increase strategic capability of India, says expert

India's maiden indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was formally commissioned today after completing almost a year of trials at sea. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 45,000 tonne carrier at the Cochin Shipyard.

At 262 metres long and 62 metres wide, the Rs 20,000 crore warship is India’s largest aircraft carrier to be built domestically — this takes India on par with US, UK, China, France and Russia, the elite group of nations to build an aircraft carrier in house. The carrier can accommodate more than 1,500 crew members and nearly 30 aircrafts, including MIG fighter jets and helicopters.

The first aircraft carrier to be operated by the Indian navy was also called Vikrant — it was officially commissioned in 1961 and played a significant role during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. After 36 years of service, the ship was decommissioned in 1997 before being dismantled and sold.

In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Retired Admiral Sunil Lanba, Former Chief of Naval Staff said INS Vikrant is going to make a significant impact on the strategic capability of Indian Navy as well as of our nation.

Lanba said, “INS Vikrant is going to make a significant impact on the strategic capability of Indian Navy as well as of our nation. INS Vikrant can project power, deterrence, diplomacy, monitor the sea lines in the Indo-Pacific etc. So it is not only going to add capability to Indian Navy but also to our nation.”

Also, Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Fellow of International Political Economy at Council on Foreign Relations, spoke about the economic impact of brutal heatwave in China.

Moreover, United States' Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff discussed ways to boost bilateral ties between India and US.