PRIME Minister Narendra Modi will commission the country’s first indigenously-built aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant on September 2, official sources said.

The Prime Minister will officially induct the vessel to the Indian Navy at a specially-arranged venue inside the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) here, which manufactured the over Rs 20,000 crore warship.

The Indian Navy had on July 28 taken delivery of the carrier from CSL after it had successfully completed the fourth and the final phase of the sea trials last month. “The event is currently scheduled to be held on September 2 at CSL jetty. The retired staff of INS Vikrant, India’s first aircraft carrier, officials of defence, shipping ministries and the state government among others are set to participate,” sources told PTI. They said an attendance of 1500-2000 people is likely. The IAC would serve to bolster India’s position in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its quest for a blue water Navy. Fighter jets have been brought to the aircraft which is set to operate MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters and MH-60R multi-role helicopters.