India to commission indigenous diving support vessel INS Nistar today at Visakhapatnam

New Delhi:  In a significant milestone for India’s maritime capabilities and indigenous Defence manufacturing, the Indian Navy will commission its first indigenously-built Diving Support Vessel (DSV), INS Nistar, on Friday at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

The commissioning ceremony will be presided over by the Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth.

Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, along with other senior dignitaries, will also be present to mark the occasion.

Earlier on Thursday, the Eastern Naval Command, Indian Navy, posted on its official X handle, “Nistar – Deliverance with Precision and Bravery. Witness a historic moment as the indigenously built Diving Support Vessel is commissioned into the Indian Navy by the Hon’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri.”

The name ‘Nistar’, derived from Sanskrit, means liberation, rescue, or salvation.

The vessel has been designed and constructed entirely within the country by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), marking a pivotal advancement in India’s mission of self-reliance in Defence production.

With more than 80 per cent indigenous content and the involvement of around 120 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), INS Nistar stands as a prime example of India’s capability to manufacture complex and advanced naval platforms in line with global standards.

Measuring approximately 120 metres in length and 20 metres in width, and displacing over 10,500 tons (Gross Registered Tonnage), the vessel has been engineered to undertake critical underwater missions, including deep-sea diving operations and submarine rescue efforts.

INS Nistar is outfitted with a state-of-the-art diving complex spread across several decks, purpose-built to support saturation diving missions.

These capabilities are further enhanced by the inclusion of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and its role as a mothership for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV).

In the event of submarine distress, INS Nistar can deploy both ROVs for underwater assessment and the DSRV to evacuate crew members, offering a critical layer of safety and support for the Indian Navy’s submariners.

The vessel’s induction underscores the Indian Navy’s ongoing commitment to enhancing underwater operational capability and highlights India’s growing Defence industrial base.

INS Nistar’s induction is not only a boost to naval infrastructure but also a powerful symbol of India’s progress in building self-reliant and future-ready Defence forces.

–IANS