The 37,500 tonne INS Vikrant is expected to go for extensive trials in 2016 before being inducted into the navy by 2018.INS Vikrant has a capacity to carry 36 fighter planes.
With this, India joins a select group of countries capable of building such a vessel.Other countries capable of building a similar ship are the US, the UK, Russia and France.
The ship will be then re-docked for outfitting and further construction.
The ship, which will have a length of 260m (850ft) and a breadth of 60m, has been built at the shipyard in Cochin. It was designed and manufactured locally, using high grade steel made by a state-owned steel company.
The phase 1 contract, which included building of the hull structure and fitting of the propulsion system, was awarded by the Navy to the CSL at a cost of Rs 1,160 crore. The next phase involves the work on the entire hull structure, laying all the pipelines , cabling, ventilation trucking, fitting all the motors and switchboards, and other facilities like dwelling units for the crew.
