INS Nistar Strengthens Indian Navy’s Deep-Sea Diving and Submarine-Rescue Capability

The Indian Navy has received Nipun, the second indigenously built Diving Support Vessel designed to strengthen India’s deep-sea diving, submarine-rescue and underwater salvage capabilities.

Hindustan Shipyard Limited delivered the specialised vessel to the Navy at Visakhapatnam on July 30, 2026. Nipun was designed and constructed in accordance with the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping.

The delivery represents another important step in India’s effort to build complex naval platforms domestically and reduce dependence on foreign technology in specialised maritime-support operations.

A Highly Specialised Diving Support Vessel

The name Nipun is derived from Sanskrit and refers to someone who is skilled, capable and proficient in a particular discipline.

Reflecting its name, the vessel has been developed for technically demanding underwater operations. It can support deep-sea diving, maritime rescue, underwater inspection, diver monitoring and salvage missions.

Diving Support Vessels serve as floating bases from which naval divers and specialised underwater systems can operate for extended periods. They provide the pressure-controlled facilities, medical support, lifting equipment and command infrastructure required for missions at substantial depths.

Deep-Sea Saturation Diving Capability

Nipun is equipped with advanced diving systems capable of supporting deep-sea saturation-diving operations.

Saturation diving enables personnel to work at great depths for prolonged periods. Divers remain inside a pressurised living complex aboard the vessel between assignments, avoiding the need to undergo lengthy decompression after every individual dive.

This capability can be used for underwater inspection, maintenance, repair, recovery and salvage operations in areas beyond the safe reach of ordinary diving techniques.

A side-diving stage has also been provided for conducting additional diving operations from the ship.

Support for Submarine Rescue

One of Nipun’s most important roles will be to serve as a mother ship for the Indian Navy’s Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel.

A DSRV is a specialised submersible designed to reach a disabled submarine, connect with its escape hatch and evacuate trapped personnel. The Diving Support Vessel carries, deploys and supports the rescue craft while providing medical, logistical and operational assistance.

Submarine emergencies can occur far from the coast and at depths inaccessible to conventional divers. A dedicated mother ship therefore enables the Navy to move its rescue capability to the accident location and sustain operations at sea.

Nipun’s addition will strengthen India’s preparedness to respond to underwater emergencies involving its own submarines and, where required, those of friendly foreign navies.

Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles

The vessel is equipped with Remotely Operated Vehicles that expand its ability to work in deep or hazardous underwater environments.

ROVs can be controlled from the ship and used to transmit live images and operational data. They can assist in monitoring divers, locating submerged objects and examining underwater structures or damaged vessels.

Depending on the mission, these systems may also support the attachment of recovery equipment, inspection of wreckage and salvage operations where deploying human divers would be difficult or unsafe.

The combination of divers and remotely operated systems provides the vessel with greater flexibility across a wide range of underwater tasks.

Strengthening Salvage and Rescue Operations

Nipun can support operations involving sunken ships, aircraft wreckage, lost equipment and damaged offshore or harbour installations.

The ship’s diving and surveillance systems can help teams locate objects on the seabed, assess their condition and prepare them for recovery.

Such capabilities are valuable not only during military operations but also during peacetime emergencies, maritime accidents and humanitarian missions.

The vessel can therefore contribute to search-and-rescue tasks, underwater engineering, harbour clearance and the investigation of maritime incidents.

Nearly 75 Per Cent Indigenous Content

Nipun has been built with nearly 75 per cent indigenous content, highlighting the growing capability of India’s shipbuilding and maritime-equipment industries.

Its construction required the integration of diving complexes, underwater vehicles, propulsion systems, navigation equipment, pressure chambers and specialised safety systems.

The involvement of Indian shipyards, manufacturers and suppliers supports the development of domestic expertise in a niche area of naval technology.

The project also advances the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative by creating national capacity to design, manufacture and maintain sophisticated naval-support vessels.

Second Vessel of the Indigenous DSV Programme

Nipun is the second Diving Support Vessel constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited for the Indian Navy.

Its sister vessel, INS Nistar, was commissioned in July 2025 and became the first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel to enter Indian naval service.

Together, the two ships will considerably expand the Navy’s ability to undertake diving and submarine-rescue operations across India’s extensive maritime area.

The availability of two platforms can improve operational coverage, allowing one vessel to remain available while the other undergoes maintenance, training or deployment in a different maritime sector.

Boost to Indian Naval Shipbuilding

The delivery of Nipun demonstrates India’s ability to construct highly specialised naval vessels involving complex engineering and systems integration.

Unlike conventional combat ships, a Diving Support Vessel must combine marine operations with pressurised habitats, medical facilities, underwater robotics and rescue equipment.

Successfully designing and producing such a platform domestically represents a notable achievement for Hindustan Shipyard Limited and the wider Indian naval-industrial ecosystem.

Expanding India’s Underwater Operational Capability

The Indian Navy operates in a maritime environment where submarines, offshore infrastructure and undersea communication systems have growing strategic importance.

Reliable deep-sea diving and rescue capabilities are therefore essential for maintaining underwater assets and responding rapidly to emergencies.

Nipun will provide the Navy with an advanced platform for supporting divers, operating underwater vehicles, conducting salvage missions and deploying submarine-rescue systems.

Its delivery marks a major enhancement of India’s capabilities in the specialised field of deep-sea operations while reinforcing the country’s progress towards self-reliance in naval shipbuilding.

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Source: PIB

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