India's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant "would be grouted off the Oyster Rock off Mumbai within next two and a half years," flag officer commanding-in-chief of Western Naval Command Vice-Admiral Madanjit Singh said Thursday.
The majestic carrier, decommissioned in 1997, would be turned into a museum and would be a self-sustaining project, he told reporters on board INS Viraat, India's sole carrier.
A Vikrant Trust would be set up to look after operations of the museum, he said.
There was also a proposal to use the flight deck of INS Vikrant as a helipad, he said. This would cater to the need for a helipad in south Mumbai region, he added.
The Centre had disbursed Rs 42 crore and Maharashtra government had sanctioned Rs 25 crore for the Vikrant project, Singh said.
After completion of the project, visitors would be able to drive right upto the ship and there would be a parking space nearby for 200 vehicles, he added.