The first MIG-29K for the Indian Navy took flight on 22 January 2007.
The aircraft has been made ready for aircraft carrier operation by hardening the undercarriage. The aircraft also has much better over-the-nose vision to make it easy to land aboard a carrier at high angle of attack.
The Naval version also has additional fuel carrying capacity as also a capacity to carry more weapons since there are a total of nine stations as against only seven with the Air Force version.
The aircraft also has a full glass cockpit with three large size multi-function displays. Modifications were made for Indian Navy requirement featured Zhuk-ME radar, RD-33MK engine, combat payload up to 5,500 kg, 13 hardpoints (inclusive of the multi-lock bomb carriers), additional fuel tanks situated in dorsal spine fairing and wing LERXs, increased total fuel capacity by 50% comparing to first variant of MiG-29 and updated 4-channel digital fly-by-wire flight control system.
With special coatings MiG-29K radar reflecting surface is 4–5 times smaller than of basic MiG-29.
The delivery of the aircraft to the Indian Navy started in 2009, and in May 2012, 15 had been inducted, with 29 more to be delivered.
