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Indian Navy Commissions First Indigenous Diving Support Vessel ‘INS Nistar’ in Visakhapatnam.

Science and Technology | Dated: 10 Jul 2025

In July 2025, Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD), handed over ‘INS Nistar’—India’s first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel (DSV)—to the Indian Navy (IN) at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The vessel enhances India's deep-sea rescue and diving capabilities and supports the nation’s goal of self-reliance in naval infrastructure.

🎯 Key Highlights:

- The ship is classified and constructed in accordance with the rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). It is named ‘Nistar,’ a Sanskrit word meaning liberation or rescue.
- This warship is uniquely tailored for deep-sea diving and rescue operations and symbolizes India’s growing capacity for indigenous defence production under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiative.
- INS Nistar is equipped with cutting-edge deep diving equipment and has a displacement of 10,000 tonnes. It measures 118 metres in length and is capable of carrying out deep-sea saturation diving missions up to 300 metres. The vessel also features a side diving stage for operations up to a depth of 75 metres, ensuring flexible underwater capabilities.

💡 Other Important Facts:

(i) The ship is also designed to function as the 'Mother Ship' for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), allowing it to conduct submarine rescue missions. In case of an emergency, it can recover crew from disabled submarines, a critical capability for enhancing the safety of underwater naval operations.
(ii) INS Nistar comes equipped with advanced Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and can manage underwater tasks at depths of up to 1,000 metres. This makes it a valuable asset not only for the Indian Navy’s submarine fleet but also for maritime safety and disaster response missions.
(iii) Notably, over 75% of the equipment and components in INS Nistar have been sourced from domestic vendors, making it one of the most indigenously produced platforms in its category. This aligns with India’s strategic defence vision and strengthens the country’s defence shipbuilding ecosystem.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Recently, which indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV) was handed over to the Indian Navy by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL)?

Correct Answer: INS Nistar

🚀 Quick Recap:

About Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL)

Chairman and Managing Director (CMD): Commodore Hemant Khatri (Retd.)
Headquarters : Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh