The class represents the largest warships and the first aircraft carriers to be designed and built in India.

[9] 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, CSL released a graphic illustration showing the 32,000-ton STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) design with a pronounced ski jump.

[11] In August 2006, then 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).

It will deploy up to 30 fixed-wing aircraft,[14] primarily the Mikoyan MiG-29K, besides carrying 10 Kamov Ka-31 or Westland Sea King helicopters.

The Ka-31 will fulfill the airborne early warning (AEW) role and the Sea King will provide anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability.

India evaluated the Russian Sukhoi Su-33, but chose the lighter Mikoyan MiG-29K as Vikramaditya was smaller and lacked an aircraft catapult.

[17] On 18 January 2010, it was reported that India and Russia were close to signing a deal for 29 MiG-29K fighters to operate from IAC-I.

[19] In June 2012, Flight Global reported that the Indian Navy was considering the use of Rafale M (Naval variant) on these carriers.

[20] In December 2016, the navy announced that the HAL Tejas is overweight for carrier operations, and other alternatives will be looked at.

The supplier, Elecon Engineering, had to work around a number of technical complexities due to the length of the propulsion shafts.

[33] 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.

[1][4] In July 2012, The Times of India reported that construction of Vikrant has been delayed by 3 years, and the ship would be ready for commissioning by 2017.

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