PM will dedicate INS Vikrant to nation today; strict security and traffic control in Kochi

KOCHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate India's first indigenous aircraft carrier 'Vikrant', built by Kochi Shipyard, to the country on Friday. The ceremony will be held at the shipyard at 9.30 am. Once the Prime Minister hoists the National Flag and then the Navy Flag on the ship, the ship will become part of the Navy. It will be named as INS Vikrant.

Governor Arif Muhammad Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and many others will participate in the ceremony which will be held under strict security. After the dedication ceremony of Vikrant, the Prime Minister will reach Nedumbassery airport by helicopter from the Naval Air Station and then will go to Mangalore.

The 45,000-tonne warship is built at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore and its work started in April 2005. It will take another one and a half years for Vikrant to be equipped with weapons including missiles. There will be strict security and traffic control in Kochi today as part of the function.