COMMISSIONING OF INDIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS DIVING SUPPORT VESSEL – ‘NISTAR’
Indian Navy will be commissioning the first of the two Diving Support Vessels, ‘ Nistar ’ at Visakhapatnam on 18 Jul 2025 . The ceremony will be presided over by the Hon’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri, Shri Sanjay Seth, and will be attended by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of Naval Staff and other senior dignitaries. Nistar , which has been indigenously designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam , marks a significant milestone in India’s march towards Aatmanirbharta . With participation of 120 MSMEs and incorporating more than 80% indigenous content, Nistar is a statement to India’s ability to build complex ships, at par with international standards.
The ship displaces upwards of 10,500 tons (GRT) and measures close to 120 mtr in length and is over 20 mtr wide. Main roles of the vessel include undertaking deep sea diving and conducting rescue operations from distressed submarines . The specialised diving complex onboard extends over multiple decks, and she is fitted with state-of-the-art systems required for saturation diving missions.
Supplementing her underwater capabilities, the ship is equipped with Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) . As Mothership for Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle , in her submarine rescue roles; the ship can deploy ROVs for the intervention and a Submarine Rescue Vehicle for evacuation of personnel from distressed submarines.
Commissioning of Nistar highlights India’s steadfast progress towards achieving indigenisation in defence manufacturing and the Indian Navy’s resolve towards strengthening its capabilities in the underwater domain.
