Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, here on Friday, putting India in a select league of countries with domestic capabilities to build such large warships.

The Prime Minister commissioned the aircraft carrier, built at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore, at a function organized by Cochin Shipyard Limited here.

With the commissioning of Vikrant, India joined a select group of nations that have the niche capacity to indigenously design and build an aircraft carrier.

The commissioning ceremony was attended by a large number of dignitaries including Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Kerala Governor Arif Mohamad Khan, State Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and senior officials from the Navy and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).

Modi unveiled a plaque to mark the induction of INS Vikrant, named after his predecessor who played a crucial role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, into the Navy.

The luggage rack is packed with state-of-the-art features.