&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Indian Navy takes delivery of second indigenous diving support ship")
The Indian Navy has taken delivery of Nipun, its second indigenously built diving support vessel, from Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam. The handover marks another step in the country’s effort to build specialised underwater capabilities at home.
Nipun, whose name derives from a Sanskrit word meaning skilled, is a 118-metre ship displacing more than 8,560 tonnes. Officials say more than 80 per cent of its value was sourced within India. The vessel has been designed and built to the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping.
It is intended for deep-sea diving, submarine rescue and underwater intervention work. At its core is a dynamic positioning system that allows the ship to hold a precise position over a worksite without anchors, critical when divers or rescue equipment are operating below. The vessel is fitted with saturation diving systems, including compression chambers and life-support equipment, so divers can remain at working depth for extended periods. A side diving stage supports operations, while remotely operated vehicles extend the ship’s reach for inspection, monitoring and light salvage beyond the limits of human divers.
Nipun will also serve as a mother ship for a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle, managing launch, recovery and communications during efforts to reach a disabled submarine and evacuate its crew. Few navies maintain this complete chain as an organically owned capability.
Also read | India's GPS has a satellite problem: Government says NavIC no longer working. All you need to know
The acceptance document was signed by Rear Admiral Arvind Rawal, chief staff officer (technical) of the Western Naval Command, and Rear Admiral Chandrasekharan Raghuram (retired), chairman and managing director of Hindustan Shipyard Limited. Delivery comes roughly a year after the lead ship of the class, INS Nistar, was handed over and later commissioned in July 2025. Both vessels were launched together in September 2022.
Hindustan Shipyard Limited, a Miniratna defence public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, has a shipbuilding history of more than eight decades that includes submarine work. The diving support vessel programme drew on around 120 micro, small and medium enterprises, requiring naval-grade standards across a wide supplier base.
Nipun is expected to move towards commissioning in the coming months. Once in service alongside INS Nistar, the navy will for the first time possess two such platforms, providing redundancy in a specialised and strategically important area of underwater operations.
