Indian Navy Commissions INS Nistar: A Leap in Indigenous Underwater Capabilities

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In a significant boost to its underwater operational capabilities and a landmark achievement for India’s defense indigenization efforts, the Indian Navy officially commissioned its first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel (DSV), INS Nistar, today, Friday, July 18, 2025, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The ceremony, presided over by Raksha Rajya Mantri (Minister of State for Defence) Shri Sanjay Seth, marks a new era for the Navy’s deep-sea diving and submarine rescue missions.

Built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, INS Nistar is the first of two such DSVs planned for the Indian Navy. This highly specialized vessel is engineered to undertake complex deep-sea saturation diving operations and critical submarine rescue missions, a capability possessed by only a select few navies globally. Its design and construction adhere to the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), and it boasts an impressive 80% indigenous content, with active participation from over 120 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

“Nistar will provide critical submarine rescue support to the Indian Navy as well as our regional partners. This will enable India to emerge as a ‘Preferred Submarine Rescue Partner’ in this region. The commissioning of Nistar is testimony to the growing capability and maturity of our maritime industrial base, and another shining example of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” stated Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, highlighting the vessel’s strategic importance.

The 118-meter-long vessel, displacing over 10,000 tons, is equipped with a state-of-the-art multi-deck saturation diving complex, allowing for sustained underwater operations at depths of up to 300 meters. It also features Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for underwater survey, inspection, and diver monitoring, as well as a Self-Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboat. Significantly, INS Nistar will serve as the “Mother Ship” for the Indian Navy’s Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV), a crucial asset for evacuating personnel from distressed submarines. The ship’s motto, “Deliverance with Precision and Bravery,” encapsulates its core mission profile.

The commissioning of INS Nistar not only reinforces the Indian Navy’s role as a “First Responder” and “Preferred Security Partner” in the Indian Ocean Region but also underscores the nation’s unwavering commitment to the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-Reliant India) initiative in defense manufacturing. This vessel carries forward the legacy of its namesake, the erstwhile INS Nistar (1971), a Soviet-origin submarine rescue vessel that played a vital role in Indian naval operations, including the identification of the Pakistani submarine Ghazi during the 1971 war. The new Nistar, with its advanced capabilities and indigenous build, is set to significantly enhance India’s maritime security and rescue preparedness for decades to come.