Indian Navy to become completely 'Aatmanirbhar' by 2047: Admiral R Hari Kumar

Navy Chief Admiral said that given the recent global event, India can't remain dependent on others for security requirements and so the 'Aatmanibhar' Navy is a commitment Navy will fulfil.

New Delhi, Dec 03: The Indian Navy has informed the top officials in the government that it will become completely "Aatmanirbhar" by 2047, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Saturday. He said that this is one of the Navy's commitments to the top leadership of the country.

"Recent global events amply underscore that we can't remain dependent on others for our own security requirements. Government has given us very clear guidelines on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and one of the Navy's commitments to the top leadership is that we'll become an Aatmanirbhar Navy by 2047," ANI quoted the Navy Chief as saying.

The commissioning of INS Vikrant is a landmark event for India and a torch-bearer of "Atmanirbharta", Admiral Kumar claimed during a press interaction. "There are very few countries that have the capability to make an aircraft carrier and we now form one of the elite or select band," he said. "It inspires self-confidence among us and it's a shining symbol of our indigenous capability. It has contributed to enhancing the stature of the nation in the world. I'm sure Vikrant will proudly fly the Tiranga across the wide reaches of Indo-Pacific in years to come," he added.

Shedding colonial past:
The Admiral also spoke about unveiling of a new Naval ensign was in line with the government policy of shedding vestiges of colonial symbols and practices. "So, we've unveiled the new ensign. The new design was by one of our sailors from a ship, we just worked upon and improved and promulgated it," he added.

Showcasing the country's growing prowess of indigenous manufacturing and a major milestone in the path towards 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned the country's first indigenous aircraft carrier Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in September. During the event, he also unveiled the new Naval Ensign (Nishaan), doing away with the colonial past and befitting the rich Indian maritime heritage. He dedicated the new ensign to Chhatrapati Shivaji.

"Vikrant is huge, massive, and vast. Vikrant is distinguished, Vikrant is also special. Vikrant is not just a warship. This is a testament to the hard work, talent, influence and commitment of India in the 21st century. If the goals are distant, the journeys are long, the ocean and the challenges are endless - then India's answer is Vikrant. The incomparable Amrit of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is Vikrant. Vikrant is a unique reflection of India becoming self-reliant," he said addressing a gathering.

INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant is designed by Indian Navy's in-house Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Cochin Shipyard Limited, a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Vikrant has been built with state of the art automation features and is the largest ship ever built in maritime history of India.

The 262.5 m long and 61.6 m wide Vikrant displaces approx 43,000 T, having a maximum designed speed of 28 Knots with endurance of 7,500 Nautical Miles. The ship has around 2,200 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,600 including women officers and sailors. The carrier is designed with a very high degree of automation for machinery operations, ship navigation and survivability. The carrier is equipped with the latest state of the art equipment and systems.