India’s planned 65,000-ton INS Vishal, conceived as a CATOBAR super-carrier, has slipped behind earlier expectations largely because acquiring a shore-tested U.S. Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and associated high-power electric-propulsion technology has proven politically and technically fraught, prompting New Delhi to pursue indigenous alternatives. In 2025 New Delhi pushed a Technology and Capability Roadmap that prioritises home-grown EMALS and electric drive solutions and has tasked DRDO and industry partners to scale prototype electromagnetic launchers and ship-power systems to carrier-class levels; Rolls-Royce and private firms have also been linked to next-gen electric-drive talks to meet the enormous power demands of catapult operations. The urgency is sharpened by China’s Type-003 Fujian completing sea trials in May 2024 and conducting catapult launch tests in September 2025, underscoring capability gaps India seeks to close. At the same time, complex U.S. export controls and recent political tensions have limited straightforward technology transfers, reinforcing a hybrid path: accelerate indigenous development while continuing selective international cooperation to deliver INS Vishal’s CATOBAR capability on a realistic timeframe.