KOCHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Kerala on a two-day visit on Thursday, which will see him commissioning the first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi on Friday.
Modi, who will arrive at 6 pm on Thursday will visit Sri Adi Shankara Janma Bhoomi Kshetram, the holy birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya, at Kalady village near Cochin Airport. At 9:30 am on Friday, Prime Minister will commission the INS Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard.
"Prime Minister has been a strong proponent of Aatmanirbharta, especially in strategic sectors. In what will mark a significant step towards self-reliance in the defence sector, Prime Minister will commission the first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, an official release said here. Designed by the Indian Navy's in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, a public sector shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Vikrant has been built with state-of-the-art automation features and is the largest ship ever built in the maritime history of India.
The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier is named after her illustrious predecessor, India’s first Aircraft Carrier which had played a vital role in the 1971 war. It has a large number of indigenous equipment and machinery, involving major industrial houses in the country as well as over 100 MSMEs. With the commissioning of Vikrant, India will have two operational Aircraft Carriers, which will bolster the maritime security of the nation, the release said.
During the event, the Prime Minister will also unveil the new Naval Ensign (Nishaan), doing away with the colonial past and befitting the rich Indian maritime heritage.
After the function, Modi will leave for Mangaluru where he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 3800 crores, the release said.