What would India change if it bought Admiral Kuznetsov in the 1990s?
Short answerIt would likely undertake a Vikramaditya-style reconstruction, replacing so much that little beyond the basic hull remained.
NotesThe proposed Indian purchase leads to an expectation of extensive reconstruction, although no specific replacement engine is selected. An initial reference to Varyag is corrected: India bought the last Kiev-class ship, while China bought Varyag. That leaves the conversion which produced Vikramaditya as the comparison for the amount of work India might undertake. Kuznetsov's continued survival despite neglect is also treated as evidence of a robust underlying hull.