Indian Navy’s INSV Kaundinya Embarks on Historic Voyage
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to the crew of INSV Kaundinya as the Indian Navy’s unique engineless vessel set sail from Porbandar, Gujarat, to Oman. This maiden overseas journey retraces ancient maritime routes that once connected India with the Gulf region. The vessel, constructed using traditional shipbuilding techniques, symbolizes India’s rich maritime heritage and aims to revive historical trade connections.
Reviving Ancient Shipbuilding Traditions
INSV Kaundinya is a remarkable vessel built entirely with traditional stitched-plank techniques, inspired by ancient Indian maritime practices. Unlike modern ships, its wooden planks are stitched together using coconut coir rope and sealed with natural resins. This age-old method was once common along India’s coastline and facilitated long-distance voyages to regions such as West Asia, Africa, and Southeast Asia centuries ago.
The project to construct INSV Kaundinya was initiated through a tripartite memorandum of understanding involving the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations. This collaboration aims to revive indigenous knowledge systems and promote traditional craftsmanship. The ship was crafted by skilled artisans under the guidance of master shipwright Babu Sankaran, with support from the Indian Navy and various academic institutions. Fully seaworthy, the vessel is equipped for oceanic navigation, marking a significant step in preserving India’s maritime legacy.
Design, Dimensions, and Crew
INSV Kaundinya measures approximately 19.6 meters in length and 6.5 meters in width, with a draft of around 3.33 meters. The vessel is entirely sail-powered and operated by a crew of about 15 sailors, all trained to navigate under traditional sailing conditions. Named after the legendary mariner Kaundinya, who is believed to have sailed from India to Southeast Asia in ancient times, the ship highlights India’s historical significance as a maritime nation.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the design of INSV Kaundinya is based on a 5th-century CE ship depicted in the Ajanta cave paintings. The vessel was launched in February 2025 in Goa. The Indian Navy played a crucial role in overseeing the design, technical validation, and construction of the ship. With no existing blueprints, the design was reconstructed from iconographic sources and validated through hydrodynamic model testing at IIT Madras.
The vessel also features culturally significant elements, including sails adorned with the Gandabherunda and Sun motifs, a sculpted Simha Yali on the bow, and a Harappan-style stone anchor on the deck. These features reflect India’s ancient maritime heritage and aim to reclaim the nation’s rich history of seafaring, trade, and exploration across the Indian Ocean, as noted by historian Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.
