Indian Navy Inducts ‘Nistar’—First Indigenous Diving Support Vessel

In a major leap for India's maritime self-reliance, the Indian Navy on 8th July 2025 formally received ‘Nistar’, its first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel (DSV), delivered by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) at a ceremony in Visakhapatnam. This landmark delivery reflects the growing capabilities of India's shipbuilding sector and is a powerful embodiment of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India missions spearheaded by the Government of India.

‘Nistar’, a Sanskrit word meaning liberation, rescue, or salvation, aptly symbolizes the ship’s primary operational role—deep-sea rescue and diving operations. With the delivery of Nistar, India joins an elite group of nations capable of designing and constructing specialized naval platforms for complex underwater missions.

Design and Capabilities: A World-Class Deep-Sea Asset

Built under the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), Nistar represents a significant technical and operational achievement. The vessel, measuring 118 meters in length and weighing nearly 10,000 tons, is packed with high-end technology and equipment to undertake a spectrum of undersea tasks.

Some of the ship’s notable features include:

• Deep Sea Saturation Diving Capability up to 300 meters: A first-of-its-kind indigenous integration, enabling long-duration deep-sea operations.

• Side Diving Stage operational up to 75 meters, offering flexible deployment options for shallow to mid-depth underwater work.

• Mother Ship Role for Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV): Nistar will serve as the primary support platform in submarine emergency scenarios, enabling timely rescue and evacuation of personnel stranded underwater.

Cutting-Edge Technology for Naval Safety and Salvage

Nistar is fitted with a suite of advanced diving and rescue equipment that rivals global standards:

• Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) that can perform salvage operations and diver monitoring to depths of up to 1000 meters.

• Hyperbaric medical facilities to support saturation diving and ensure safety during prolonged missions.

• Integrated Dynamic Positioning System (DPS), allowing precise ship positioning over subsea targets without anchoring—a critical feature for underwater rescue and repair operations.

These capabilities make Nistar one of the most advanced support vessels in the Indian Ocean region, elevating India's deep-sea operational capacity to international standards.

Aatmanirbharta in Action: 75% Indigenous Content

The most notable aspect of Nistar’s construction is its indigenous content, which stands at an impressive 75%. From hull fabrication to critical systems integration, a vast portion of the ship’s components and technologies have been sourced and developed within India.

This achievement is a testament to the Indian defence industrial ecosystem’s maturity and reflects the cumulative progress made under initiatives such as:

• ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’

• ‘Make in India for Defence’

• Indigenisation Roadmap of Indian Navy (SWAVLAMBAN initiative)

By delivering a vessel of such complexity and scale domestically, India has reduced its reliance on foreign suppliers, bolstered defence innovation, and created a template for future indigenous naval programs.

Strategic Importance and Operational Utility

The induction of Nistar greatly enhances the Indian Navy’s maritime search and rescue (SAR), submarine support, and undersea recovery capabilities. The vessel can be rapidly deployed in scenarios involving:

• Submarine distress or accidents

• Sunken ship recovery

• Underwater repairs and salvage operations

• Supporting naval special operations

Its dual-use capability—supporting both peace-time missions and combat preparedness—makes it a key enabler of India’s maritime dominance and human resource protection in deep-sea environments.

Building Momentum for Future Indigenous Platforms

The successful construction and delivery of Nistar is expected to pave the way for a new class of specialized vessels tailored to the Indian Navy’s evolving doctrine and needs. Hindustan Shipyard Limited, having demonstrated its ability to deliver such a platform, is likely to be tasked with similar projects in the future, reinforcing India’s defence shipbuilding capacity.

Speaking at the delivery event, senior Navy officials lauded the collaboration between HSL and naval designers, highlighting the synergy as a model for future warship programs.

Looking Ahead: Naval Modernization Anchored in Self-Reliance

The delivery of Nistar comes at a time when India is accelerating its naval modernization efforts amidst growing maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific. The Indian Navy’s focus on expanding its fleet with highly specialized platforms—from aircraft carriers to support ships—underscores its ambition to be a formidable blue-water navy.

With Nistar now in service, India has taken a significant step toward achieving full-spectrum undersea capability, marking yet another milestone in the nation’s journey to self-sufficiency in defence.