The Indian Navy’s underwater warfare and rescue capabilities received a substantial boost with the commissioning of INS Nistar, an advanced Diving Support Vessel (DSV) that was designed and constructed entirely in India. The commissioning ceremony, held at Visakhapatnam’s Eastern Naval Command, was presided over by Shri Sanjay Seth, Minister of State for Defence. As the first vessel of its kind for the Indian Navy, INS Nistar highlights India’s emergence as a self-sufficient naval power capable of conducting specialized undersea operations.
Built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, INS Nistar has been developed as a platform to support high-risk diving and submarine crew rescue operations. It features specialized systems such as ROVs, hyperbaric life-saving chambers, and self-propelled submersibles, allowing it to operate in depths of up to 300 meters. With these technologies, the ship will play a vital role in submarine emergency response, complex salvage tasks, and enhancing India’s presence as a blue-water navy with full-spectrum maritime capabilities.
