INS Nistar Commissioned: Indian Navy’s First Indigenous Diving Support Vessel Joins Fleet
Visakhapatnam/New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Indian Navy took a giant leap in its quest for self-reliance by commissioning its first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel (DSV), INS Nistar, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam on Friday. The commissioning ceremony was led by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, with Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi and several senior officials in attendance.
INS Nistar has been constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) with over 80% indigenous content, involving the participation of more than 120 MSMEs across the country. The vessel, weighing over 10,500 tons, is 120 meters long and 20 meters wide, designed to undertake critical deep-sea missions, including diving operations, submarine rescue missions, and saturation diving support.
The ship is equipped with a state-of-the-art multi-deck saturation diving complex and serves as a mother ship for Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs). In the event of a submarine emergency, INS Nistar can deploy its DSRV to locate, assess, and rescue trapped crew members, significantly enhancing the Indian Navy’s underwater operational safety.
The name ‘Nistar’ is derived from Sanskrit, meaning rescue, salvation, or liberation, symbolizing the vessel’s primary mission. According to the Ministry of Defence, INS Nistar strengthens the Navy’s capability to operate in extreme underwater environments while demonstrating India’s ability to produce complex, globally standard naval platforms under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
This commissioning also highlights India’s growing defense industrial base and technological progress in indigenous shipbuilding. With INS Nistar, the Indian Navy has taken another decisive step toward enhancing its underwater rescue and operational support capabilities, ensuring better safety for its submarine fleet.