PM Narendra Modi unveils new Naval Ensign ‘Nishaan’ in Kochi

• Image Credit: Google

• Sep 2, 2022 | Dhupali Das

During the commissioning of the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the Prime Minister introduced the new Naval Ensign "Nishaan."

Flags used by naval ships or formations to indicate nationality are known as naval ensigns. The St. George's Cross, which has a red cross on a white backdrop, serves as the current Indian Naval Ensign.

When the country gained independence, the Indian flag was placed in one of the cross's corners, replacing the Union Jack.

Since India's independence, the Indian Naval Ensign has undergone numerous changes. The St George's Cross was removed in 2001, and the Indian Navy's crest was put in the opposite corner of the flag. In 2004, the cross was placed once more, this time with the Indian flag's insignia added to the intersection.

The largest ship ever built in India's maritime history, Vikrant, was designed by the Indian Navy's internal Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited, a Public Sector Shipyard under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier is named for her esteemed predecessor, India's first aircraft carrier, which played an important role in the war of 1971. 

It includes important national industrial companies as well as more than 100 MSMEs, and it contains a significant amount of locally produced equipment and machinery. India will have two operational aircraft carriers after Vikrant is commissioned, which would improve the country's maritime security.

The 262-meter-long carrier, which is larger and more modern than her predecessor, has a full displacement of close to 45,000 tonnes, according to the Indian Navy.

With Vikrant, India has joined a narrow group of countries that have the unique capability of designing and building an aircraft carrier in-house. IAC Vikrant has 14 decks and 2,300 compartments. It can accommodate about 1,500 sea warriors, and to cater to the food requirements, around 10,000 chapatis or rotis are made in the ship’s kitchen, which is called the ship’s galley.

The ship has a top speed of 28 knots and is powered by four gas turbines with a combined 88 MW of power. The project, which has a total estimated cost of close to Rs 20,000 crores, has been developed throughout the course of three phases of the MoD and CSL contract, each of which was completed in May 2007, December 2014, and October 2019 respectively.

The keel of the ship was laid in February 2009, and it was launched in August 2013. IAC is a prime example of the country's pursuit of "Aatma Nirbhar Bharat," and it's 76% indigenous content gives the government's "Make in India" initiative a boost.