The Indian Navy on Friday commissioned INS Nistar, the country’s first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The commissioning ceremony was attended by Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, who hailed the milestone as a proud moment for the nation and praised Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi for his leadership and dedication.
Addressing the ceremony, Sanjay Seth said, “On this proud and special day of Nistar’s commissioning, the whole country is proudly echoing the call for Aatmanirbharta, and the result is right in front of us. On this important occasion, I want to say to Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, your energy, dedication, and leadership are a matter of pride for 1.4 billion Indians.”
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi termed the commissioning of INS Nistar, India’s first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel, is a historic achievement. “India’s first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel is a moment of great pride for all of us. I feel truly honoured to be present at its commissioning ceremony. This event is not just important for the Navy, but a historic achievement for the entire nation. On behalf of the Indian Navy, I sincerely thank the Hon’ble Minister of State for Defence for kindly accepting our invitation and joining us today as the Chief Guest,” Tripathi said.
He said the new Nistar carries forward the legacy of the original ship, which played a key role during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, including in detecting the Pakistani submarine Ghazi. He thanked the Minister of State for Defence for joining the event as the Chief Guest.
“Nistar has returned with a new spirit and purpose. The earlier version of this ship was launched on March 29, 1971, and it played a key role in the Indo-Pak war that same year. It was based right here in Visakhapatnam and helped in identifying the Pakistani submarine Ghazi. It also made significant contributions to operations in the Eastern region. I am confident that this new Nistar will carry forward and strengthen the proud legacy of the original,” he said
‘Nistar’, the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel, was delivered by Hindustan Shipyard Limited to the Indian Navy on July 8, 2025, at Visakhapatnam.
The warship has been designed and built as per classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The ship is highly specialised and can undertake Deep Sea Diving and Rescue Operations – a capability with select Navies across the globe. The ship’s name, ‘Nistar’, originates from Sanskrit and means liberation, rescue or salvation. The ship, measuring 118 m with a tonnage of nearly 10,000 tons, is installed with state-of-the-art Diving Equipment and has the capability to undertake Deep Sea Saturation Diving up to 300 m depth. The ship also has a Side Diving Stage for undertaking Diving Operations up to 75 m depth.
The ship will also serve as the ‘Mother Ship’ for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), to rescue and evacuate personnel, in case of an emergency in a submarine underwater. The ship is equipped with a combination of Remotely Operated Vehicles to undertake Diver Monitoring and Salvage Operations up to a depth of 1000 m.
The delivery of Nistar, with nearly 75 per cent indigenous content, is yet another milestone in the Indian Navy’s quest for indigenous construction and is in line with the Government of India’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the Make in India campaign.
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