[1][2] It is 262 metres (860 ft) in length, with a top speed of 28 knots (52 km/h; 32 mph) and endurance of 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km; 8,600 mi).

It has a hospital complex, cabins for female officers, eight kilometres (5.0 mi) of corridors, and eight generators capable of lighting up a city of 2 million people.

[31] By that time, given the ageing Sea Harrier fleet, the letter of intent called for a carrier that would carry more modern jet fighters.

In 2001, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) released a graphic illustration showing a 32,000-tonne (31,000-long-ton; 35,000-short-ton) STOBAR (Short Take-Off, Barrier-Arrested Recovery) design with a pronounced ski jump.

[citation needed] The aircraft carrier project received formal government approval in January 2003.

[32] In August 2006, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash stated that the designation for the vessel had been changed from Air Defence Ship (ADS) to Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC).

The euphemistic ADS had been adopted in planning stages to ward off concerns about a naval build-up.

The Ka-31 will fulfil the airborne early warning (AEW) role, MH-60R will provide anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities,[38] and Dhruv will be used mainly for search and rescue operations.

[42][43] [44] Vikrant's air group can consist up to 26 Rafale M fighters[45] and up to 4 Kamov Ka-31,[46] or 2 HAL Dhruv NUH[47] or 4 MH-60R[48] helicopters.

However, the ship's home base will be changed to Visakhapatnam after the development of certain infrastructures in the Eastern Seaboard.

This will lead to the operationalisation of a Carrier Battle Group (CBG) under the Eastern Fleet which will include the Delhi-class destroyers, Nilgiri-class frigate and Kamorta-class corvette.

[40] Interior works and fittings on the hull would be carried out until the second half of 2012, when it would again be dry-docked for integration with its propulsion and power generation systems.

[10][24] By late 2012, work commenced for the next stage of construction, which included the installation of the integrated propulsion system, the superstructure, the upper decks, the cabling, sensors and weapons.

[76] In July 2013, Defence Minister Antony announced that Vikrant would be launched on 12 August at the Cochin Shipyard.

He said that 90% of the body work of the aircraft carrier had been designed and made in India, about 50% of the propulsion system, and about 30% of its weaponry.

[78] After the launch, Vikrant would be re-docked for the second phase of construction, in which the ship would be fitted with various weapons and sensors, and the propulsion system, flight deck and the aircraft complex would be integrated.

[87][88] In April 2021, it was reported that work had begun to integrate Barak 8 (or LR-SAM) on board Vikrant.

This phase involved integrated trials of most of the equipment and systems aboard Vikrant, including portions of the Aviation Facilities Complex.

[100] On 26 May 2023 Indian built Mikoyan MiG-29K successfully landed on its deck during night sea trials lauding praise from defense ministry for Navy's dependence on Atmanirbhar Bharat.

In 1997, the bell of the decommissioned namesake ship was placed at the residence of Indian Navy Vice Chief, 5 Motilal Nehru Marg, New Delhi.

This was an interim solution until the planned naval base INS Varsha at Rambilli near Vishakhapatnam would by ready.

Until the construction ends for the permanent base, the carrier will periodically operate in the Eastern Seaboard.

[111] Later due to the Covid-19 pandemic, sea trials of the carrier were further postponed to late 2020,[112] but eventually began in August 2021.

This helped in the integration of the aircraft carriers of the Indian Navy and displayed the maritime prowess of India.

[121][122][123] On 7 November 2024, the President of India Droupadi Murmu embarked on the indigenous carrier off the Goa coast from INS Hansa.

Carrier operations of MiG-29K, missile firing drills, submarine manoeuvres and flypasts by 30 aircraft were also demonstrated.

[118][127] INS Vikrant was deployed for an overnight sea sortie as part of the AMPHEX and TROPEX 2025 exercise.