New Delhi, June 14 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday dedicated INS Vikramaditya, the largest and most powerful aircraft carrier inducted into the Indian Navy, to the nation, terming it an "important day for our nation".
A tweet from the Prime Minister's Office quoted Modi as saying: "We need to give immense importance to latest technology. This will help the nation."
He also emphasised that India must be "self-sufficient" and manufacturing the defence equipment.
"Why should we import defence equipment? We must be self-sufficient. Why can't we send our defence equipment to other nations," Modi tweeted.
while on board INS Vikramaditya, Modi also hopped into the cockpit of a MiG-29 K fighter jet.
The 44,500-tonne INS Vikramaditya, procured from Russia, is one of the newest acquisitions of the Indian Navy and the most powerful symbol of its military reach. It was commissioned by then defence minister A.K. Antony last November at Russia's Sevmash shipyard.