INS Nistar joins Indian Navy Can India’s first indigenous deep-sea rescue ship change the game?
Indian Navy Commissions Indigenous Diving Support Vessel INS Nistar
The Indian Navy is set to commission INS Nistar, its first fully indigenous Diving Support Vessel, marking a significant milestone in maritime self-sufficiency and strategic capability.
The Advanced Platform of INS Nistar
The INS Nistar is specially designed for complex underwater missions, reflecting India’s growing need for sovereign underwater infrastructure amidst evolving security challenges.
Unique Features and Capabilities of INS Nistar
INS Nistar stands out globally with its ability to support deep-sea diving operations independently, including operating as a “Mother Ship” for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) and utilizing advanced Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).
Medical Infrastructure and Self-Defence of INS Nistar
The vessel boasts a robust medical setup and self-defence systems, ensuring real-time treatment for emergencies and protection against potential threats.
Legacy and Indigenous Construction of INS Nistar
INS Nistar continues the legacy of its predecessor, the original INS Nistar, with enhanced capabilities and a strong focus on indigenous construction, showcasing India’s defense industrial base.
The Indian Navy is set to formally commission INS Nistar, its first-ever fully indigenous Diving Support Vessel (DSV) on Friday (July 18, 2025), at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam in a ceremony.
Developed and constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), this advanced platform is a major milestone in India’s pursuit of maritime self-sufficiency and strategic underwater capability, reinforcing the goals of the Make in India initiative.
Delivered to the Navy earlier this month, the induction of INS Nistar marks a generational leap in India’s naval infrastructure, with the ship poised to serve as a cornerstone in submarine rescue, underwater operations and deep-sea diving missions in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
INS Nistar is a highly specialised platform engineered for complex underwater missions, including saturation diving, rescue of submariners, salvage, underwater inspections, and search and recovery of sunken assets.
The vessel is equipped to function in demanding maritime conditions, and its capabilities reflect the increasing requirement for sovereign underwater infrastructure amidst evolving security challenges. According to the Indian Navy, the vessel has been constructed adhering to the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) standards.
Its hull measures approximately 118.4 metres in length with a beam of 22.8 metres, and the ship displaces between 9,350 and 10,000 tonnes, depending on its load configuration. Powered by two diesel engines, INS Nistar can cruise at 14 knots and stay operational at sea for over 60 days without needing to dock — a critical feature for prolonged rescue or recovery operations.
INS Nistar features a range of onboard systems that make it capable of supporting Deep Sea Saturation Diving up to 300 metres and Side Diving up to 75 metres. This makes it uniquely positioned among a select group of navies globally with the ability to carry out such operations independently.
One of its central functions will be to operate as the “Mother Ship” for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) — a deployable mini-submarine used to extract personnel from stricken submarines at depths of up to 1,000 metres. This system is further supported by Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) used for monitoring, inspection, and retrieval tasks, even in challenging underwater conditions.
