INS Vikrant showcases India’s naval power

The presence of INS Vikrant off the coast of Visakhapatnam during the ongoing IFR and Milan- 2026, has proven to be the show-stopper among the 70-odd warships from the Indian Navy and friendly navies participating in the events.

Vikrant is a story of India’s journey from a ‘Buyer’s navy’ to self-reliance.

Speaking to The Hindu, a defence official said that by operating the 45,000-tonne home-grown aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, India has joined an elite club of just five or six nations. The Indian Navy today is a formidable ‘Blue water’ force operating two ‘ carrier battle groups’ with two aircraft carriers.

The aircraft carrier serves as the flagship for the Prime Minister’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). It acts as a mobile command centre that can provide humanitarian aid or military deterrence across the Indo-Pacific region.

It is a `convening power’. The fact that over 70 nations—including US and Russia—gathered around an Indian flagship shows that the world trusts India as a “Preferred Security Partner.”

“For the foreign admirals watching from the decks of the U.S., Russian, and Japanese warships, Vikrant was a physical proof of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. It signalled that India is no longer just a participant in global security but a `major provider’ of it. The carrier played a key role in regional stability in ‘Operation Sindoor’, now with its presence at the IFR and MILAN, it sends a clear message of `Sea Control’ to the world navies,” the ENC official said.

Anchored off the city shores at nearly 12 nautical miles in the Bay of Bengal, the silhouette of the new Vikrant reminds Vizagites of its 1971 predecessor, which became a hero during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war that led to the birth of Bangladesh.

“But this time, the story is different. it is our first indigenously built largest aircraft carrier. Our entire Indian ocean is now guarded by this Indian giant,” the defence official said.