A milestone

India registered a landmark achievement on September 2 as it commissioned its first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant (Romeo One One or R11). The Indian prime minister described the aircraft carrier as being the "proof of hard work, ingenuity, influence and commitment of 21st century India". INS Vikrant also symbolises India's growing self-reliance in the defense sector. With the commissioning, India joined the restricted league of developed nations — including the US, the UK, Russia, France and China — that are capable of designing and building carriers with a displacement of over 40,000 tonnes. Apart from symbolising India's growing prowess in defense, the commissioning of INS Vikrant has also opened wide avenues for India in maritime trade and security — precisely in the Indo-Pacific region which is an area of rising importance, globally. Designed by Warship Design Bureau (erstwhile Directorate of Naval Design) and constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), INS Vikrant has a displacement of over 40,000 tonnes, endurance of 7,500 nautical miles, and a complement of 1,600 sailors and officers, and 2,200 compartments. In its 17 years of making, a total cost of Rs 19,500 crore was incurred on the aircraft carrier. For the time being, plans are afoot to equip the carrier with Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets or Rafael M fighter aircrafts. The permanent fix, however, will come with indigenously designed twin-engine deck-based fighters. It may also be noted that INS Vikrant is India's second aircraft carrier after INS Vikramaditya — a refurbished carrier procured from Russia. The commissioning of INS Vikrant is important apart from it being a milestone. It has broken a mental barrier — allowing India to contemplate on building the third aircraft carrier for its kitty. The practical significance of INS Vikrant is paramount. The Indo-Pacific region has lately emerged as the boiling pot in global geo-politics. Chinese attempts to exercise hegemony in the region have perturbed not just India but also the Western world. If China banks upon its military and economic might, India enjoys widespread global support and is a central part of the dedicated grouping named Quad. INS Vikrant's commissioning is a clear signal that India is genuinely serious about adding practical weight to its global support. With a hardline government at the Centre, which accords high priority to the defense sector, chances of quick follow-up advancements cannot be ruled out. In addition, what the Indian government is trying to do is to make a historical claim on the blue waters. While the replacement of Union Jack with the royal seal of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as Insignia is stated to remove the "burden of slavery" from India's shoulder, it is also an assertion of India's maritime heritage. India's present maritime centrality in the Indo-Pacific region is unquestionable, and the country aspires to prevent China from having an overarching control in the region in future. The new Insignia is a statement that even in the past, we had been in the region for a long time, with a noble intent. The second practical importance of the commissioning of INS Vikrant is its potential in expanding India's global trade footprints. Given the fact that 97 per cent of India's trade happens through the sea route, the criticality of INS Vikrant is immense. The carrier appears to fuel India's ambition to expand its ambit in global maritime trade. The commissioning of INS Vikrant is a result of decades of perseverance and hard work. As India reaps the benefits of those efforts in 2022, it should be grateful to all those involved in the process. The challenge before the ruling dispensation will be to keep the momentum going, and add more feathers in India's cap. Even as Indians continue celebrating the achievement, ideation for building India's third aircraft carrier should start in the corridors of policymaking. Designing of twin-engine deck-based fighters should be prioritized to give complete meaning to INS Vikrant. We have a sea to sail across and the clock is ticking fast.