Where is India's third aircraft carrier? Why has the government gone mum over it?

For decades, the Indian Navy has been pushing to get the third aircraft carrier. However, the project is nowhere to be seen. Recently speaking in Parliament, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the depleting strength of squadrons in the Indian Air Force and the absence of enough submarines and aircraft carriers to counter threats from China and Pakistan. He said that the IAF is operating with only 29 fighter squadrons, way below the sanctioned strength of 42. Owaisi highlighted that Pakistan has 25 squadrons while China has 66. He asked the government about the absence of a third aircraft carrier.

India currently has two aircraft carriers - INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. While earlier 2025 reports claimed India shunned the plan for the third aircraft carrier, some recent developments and policy changes suggest India is mulling a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier named INS Vishal. While the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) recently approved various proposals worth an estimated cost of about Rs 2.38 lakh crore to boost defence preparedness, there was no words about the third aircraft carrier.

Defence Ministry's 2025 roadmap document highlighted the need for the third aircraft carrier saying that as the nation stands on the threshold of embracing greater challenges and responsibilities in the forthcoming decades, it is but imperative that the Services be equipped accordingly.

It proposed a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, a first for India, for longer reach and stealthier operations. The roadmap document highlighted the need for at least 10 nuclear propulsion systems to support the carrier and other future warships. India is also planning to procure two electromagnetic aircraft launch systems, developed for the U.S. Navy to launch aircraft from carriers using electromagnetic forces instead of traditional steam catapults. China and the US already possess this capability.

Notably, the government has prioritised inducting more warships into the navy rather than focusing on the aircraft carrier. The Indian Navy has recently acquired multiple warships, including submarines and other naval assets. The future carrier is expected to be bigger, around 65,000+ tonnes and thus, will require huge invesment as well.

India signed the deal with Dassault Aviation (France) in April 2025. As per the plan, India will buy 26 Rafale Marine jets costing around Rs 63,000 crore. The 26 jets will have 22 single-seat fighter jets and 4 twin-seat trainer variants. There are also unconfirmed reports that India is mulling an additional 31 Rafale-Marine jets, taking the total to 57.

Defence experts have highlighted that a third aricraft carrier is needed badky for the Indian Nay to ensure at least two remain active even if one faces any issue.

With only two carriers—INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant—one is often under maintenance, leaving just a single operational carrier at sea. Adding a third would allow India to maintain deployments in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal at the same time, said experts.

It also becomes crucial in the context of growing naval activity by China in the Indian Ocean region. Beyond military balance, carriers act as mobile airbases that help protect vital trade routes and energy supplies passing through strategic chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz. For India, a third carrier is not just about numbers, but about readiness, reach and long-term strategic influence at sea.