CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Vikrant has been built at an approximate cost of Rs 20,000 crore. The Navy has said that around 80 to 85% has been ploughed back into the Indian economy with complete indigenous construction, 76% indigenous content and with employment given to 2,000 CSL personnel with another 13,000 being employed indirectly.

Detailed explanation-2: -Showcasing the country’s growing prowess of indigenous manufacturing and a major milestone in the path towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi commissioned the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) on September 02, 2022.

Detailed explanation-3: -January 2022: The Indian Navy confirmed the IAC-1, christened INS Vikrant, had completed a series of sea trials ahead of its scheduled commissioning in August 2022.

Detailed explanation-4: -INS Vikrant is designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house warship design bureau (WDB), under the Cochin Shipyard Limited, a public sector shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

Detailed explanation-5: -The 45,000-tonne Vikrant was built at Cochin Shipyard at a cost of ₹20,000 crore. Only the US, the UK, Russia, France and China have the capability to build aircraft carriers. IAC-2 is expected to be bigger (65,000 tonne) and costlier than Vikrant.