NewsGate Press Network

INS Nistar, the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam on Friday the 18th of Juky 2025.

The ship, which is the first of the two Diving Support Vessels being built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, is designed to undertake complex deep sea saturation diving and rescue operations – a capability select Navies possess across the globe.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi termed INS Nistar as not just a technological asset, but a crucial operational enabler.

Nistar will provide critical submarine rescue support to the Indian Navy as well as our regional partners the CNS said while adding that this will enable India to emerge as a ‘Preferred Submarine Rescue Partner’ in this region.

About INS Nistar

INS Nistar is installed with state-of-the-art Diving Equipment such as Remotely Operated Vehicles, Self-Propelled Hyperbaric Life Boat, Diving Compression Chambers.

It can undertake diving and salvage operations upto 300m depth.

It would also serve as the ‘Mother Ship’ for deep submergence rescue vessel to rescue and evacuate personnel, from a dived submarine in distress well below the surface.

The commissioning of the 118m ship, with a displacement of more than 10,000 tons, upholds the Indian Navy’s resolve towards continuously strengthening its maritime capabilities in the Underwater Domain. With participation of 120 MSMEs and incorporating over 80% indigenous content, INS Nistar is a statement to India’s ability to build complex ships at par with international standards.