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'Bajaj V', A Commuter Bike Made From Scrap Metal Of India's First Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant

Bajaj Is Launching A Commuter Bike Made From Scrap Metal Of India's First Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant
A security guard stands in front of a Bajaj Auto Ltd. logo in Pune, India, on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2011. Bajaj Auto Ltd. is India's No. 2 motorcycle maker. Photographer: Adeel Halim/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Bloomberg via Getty Images
A security guard stands in front of a Bajaj Auto Ltd. logo in Pune, India, on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2011. Bajaj Auto Ltd. is India's No. 2 motorcycle maker. Photographer: Adeel Halim/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bajaj Auto is all set to launch on February 1 a commuter bike -- 'Bajaj V' -- made from the metal of India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant which was scrapped in 2014, the company said on Monday.

From the nostalgic 'Humara Bajaj' advertisement of the late 1980s that made the Chetak brand of scooters a darling of the masses, to 'the fastest Indian' campaign two decades later, Bajaj Auto has known the pulse of generations of Indians. The latest launch from the country’s leading two-wheeler manufacturer was announced as part of a a teaser video on the company website on Republic Day yesterday.

Though neither the video nor an official press release from the company gave out any details about the bike’s specifications, sources told HuffPost India that Bajaj V will be a commuter segment motorcycle with an engine capacity of 100-150cc.

“Bajaj Auto purchased the Vikrant metal and processed it to be a part of its new brand being unveiled on Feb 1. The new bike will, therefore, preserve a significant piece of Indian Military history,” the company said in a release.

INS Vikrant was commissioned as the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy in 1961. After years of service, Vikrant was decommissioned in January 1997. It was dismantled and sold as scrap metal in November 2014 .

“For decades, the INS Vikrant has been celebrated as the pride of our country and is synonymous with India’s military capabilities and power. We are proud that Bajaj Auto is playing a role in keeping the legacy India’s first aircraft carrier alive,” Bajaj Auto Ltd President (Motorcycle Business) Eric Vas said.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.