NEW DELHI, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's wife Gursharan Kaur launched on Sunday the country's first indigenously designed and built nuclear-powered attack submarine, INS Arihant, in Visakhapatnam, southern India, said a senior Indian navy official.

    "It marks a quantum leap in India's ship building capabilities and let the country join the elite club which can build nuclear powered attack submarines -- the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain," said the official on condition of anonymity.     

    The submarine was housed in a dry dock, which was flooded with sea water to mark the launching ceremony, said the official.

    The submarine will be commissioned in the Indian Navy as INS Arihant, which translates as "destroyer of enemies", after extensive outfitting and sea trial, he added.

    It is the first of three such vessels to be built in the country.Hitherto, submarines have been built here under license from their foreign designers, said the report.