The Indian Navy formally commissioned INS Nistar, India’s first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessel (DSV), at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The ceremony was presided over by the Raksha Rajya Mantri (Minister of State for Defence) Sanjay Seth, in attendance with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi and other senior dignitaries.
Designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), INS Nistar spans 118 m, displaces nearly 9,350–10,000 tonnes, and achieved over 80 % indigenous content with participation from over 120 MSMEs.
Capable of deep-sea saturation diving up to 300 m and side diving up to 75 m, INS Nistar also functions as the ‘mother ship’ for Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRVs)—enabling rescue of personnel from distressed submarines to depths reaching 1,000 m. Equipped with ROVs, a dynamic positioning system (DP‑II), side-scan sonar, a 15-ton subsea crane, and a full diving complex featuring saturation chambers, decompression facilities, and a self‑propelled hyperbaric lifeboat.
Medical capabilities include a dedicated Operating Theatre, ICU, and an eight-bed hospital, while the vessel can remain operational at sea for 60+ days and support helicopter operations.