The ship is powered by a Bryansk–Burmeister & Wain 6DKRN60/195 diesel (a licence-built MAN-B&W 6L60MC) delivering 10,948 hp (8,164 kW) to a single fixed pitch propeller.

This allows the ship to reach a maximum speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) for an endurance of 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km; 14,000 mi).

The fuel and water levels in the cargo tanks are checked to maintain the ship's stability during loading and discharging of supplies.

In 2000, self-defence capabilities were added by installing new close-in weapons like anti-aircraft and anti-missile guns and missiles.

It was built to be a Project 15966M merchant tanker, but was modified and purchased by the Indian Navy, and was commissioned on 20 July 1996.

[13] On 28 March 1998, four civilian workmen were killed in a gas explosion on-board the Jyoti at the naval dockyard.

The ships made port calls at Fremantle, Sydney, Wellington and Ho Chi Minh City.

The fleet left Qingdao on 16 April 2007,[18] and then conducted joint anti-terror exercises with the Russian Navy.

The deployment was led by Rear Admiral Shekhar Sinha, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet.

Twenty one naval vessels from 14 nations and delegations from 29 countries took part in the review, which lasted from 20 to 24 April.

[25] By 2010, the ship had completed thirteen years in the navy, during which time it had undertaken 2504 underway replenishment runs and travelled 375,282 nautical miles.

It had operated in the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf and the Pacific Ocean and had participated in numerous multinational exercises with the navies of the United States of America, South Korea, Philippines, Japan and Singapore etc.

The fleet sailed under the command of Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral P N Murugesan and made port calls at Jakarta (Indonesia), Hai Phong (Vietnam), Manila (Philippines), Muara (Brunei), Bangkok (Thailand), Fremantle (Australia), Singapore and Port Kelang (Malaysia).

The Indian fleet then proceeded on its forward deployment, and made port calls at Alava pier in Subic Bay (Philippines),[35] Vlapostok (Russia), Manila (Philippines), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei), Kota Kina Balu (Malaysia) and Jakarta (Indonesia).

[42][43] In May 2011, Jyoti and Ranvir, led by Captain Sunil Balakrishnan, were deployed to Brunei, and docked at Muara port.