PM dedicates biggest aircraft carrier to nation

Image
Press Trust of India On Board Aircraft Carrier
Last Updated : Jun 14 2014 | 7:45 PM IST
Russia-made India's largest aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya was today dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who pitched for making the country self-reliant in manufacturing defence equipment and even capable of exports also.
In his first outing after taking charge as Prime Minister about three weeks back, he travelled on the warship in the Arabian Sea and addressed the naval personnel onboard, calling the addition of INS Vikramaditya as a "historic" step and a "new milestone in our strategic capability".
Modi, who was briefed by the top Naval officers and given an air power demonstration, underlined that national security and defence forces are priority areas for his government.
"The Vikramaditya is being dedicated to the nation and a strong step has been taken in strengthening India's security.... I was told that 1680 troops and several aircraft can be deployed on this carrier and this is a new milestone in our strategic capability," he said while addressing the jawans on board the 44,500 tonnes warship.
He said while several promises have been made in the past, his government has come with "both promises and intention to fulfill them".
Referring to India's tag of being the largest importer of defence equipment, Modi said the situation has to be changed.
"We have slowly entered the field of building strategic systems. For a country like India to depend on others and imports weapon for security even so many years of independence, we have to get rid of this situation," he said.
"Not only should we become self-reliant, we also should provide them (defence equipment) to small countries. The small countries should feel secure that the they have India-produced defence equipment," Modi said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 14 2014 | 7:45 PM IST

Next Story