The Indian Navy commissioned INS Nipun on Monday (August 31, 2026) at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. It is the second Diving Support Vessel (DSV) of the Nistar class and will significantly enhance the Navy’s capabilities in deep-sea diving, underwater intervention, and submarine rescue.

Presiding over the ceremony was Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan. Also present were Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, senior naval officers, representatives of the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), veterans, and families of the commissioning crew.

According to the Ministry of Defence, INS Nipun is a specialist platform built to undertake complex underwater operations. The vessel was indigenously designed and built by the HSL in Visakhapatnam. Its induction marks another step towards self-reliance in defence shipbuilding and reflects India’s growing capability to design and construct technologically advanced naval platforms.

The vessel is designed primarily to support deep-sea diving and underwater operations, including saturation, air and heliox diving. It is equipped with remotely operated underwater systems for inspection and intervention, while its specialised diving complex, dynamic positioning capabilities, life-support systems, and medical facilities enable sustained operations in demanding maritime conditions.

INS Nipun can also support submarine rescue operations, substantially strengthening the Navy’s ability to respond to underwater contingencies. Along with its sister ship INS Nistar, the vessel will enhance the Navy’s capabilities in diving, underwater intervention, salvage, and submarine rescue.

Seamless synergy

Admiral Swaminathan said the induction of INS Nipun reflected the seamless synergy between the Indian Navy, Hindustan Shipyard Limited, and the domestic industrial network.

He noted that proving the role-worthiness of all diving systems during sea trials in a single sortie was a testament to the country’s technical confidence and engineering prowess.

The Chief of Naval Staff said combat readiness remained the Navy’s highest priority amid an increasingly contested maritime environment and growing threats to global maritime highways. Based on the West Coast under the Western Naval Command, INS Nipun would be a significant addition to the specialised underwater capabilities required to sustain multi-domain operations, he said.

Highlighting the vessel’s niche capabilities, Admiral Swaminathan said these were available with only a handful of navies globally and would enable India to respond swiftly to distressed submarines of both the Indian Navy and partner nations.

The capability, he said, would strengthen India’s position as a Preferred Submarine Rescue Partner in the region, while also enabling specialised support for underwater salvage and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations.

Addressing the commissioning crew, the CNS said they had inherited not merely a sophisticated platform but also the responsibility of shaping the ship’s character and instilling spirit into her steel. He urged them to live up to the ship’s motto, ‘Nischay, Nirbhay, Nipun’ — Resolve, Fearlessness and Professional Mastery — while remaining anchored in the Navy’s core values of Duty, Honour and Courage.

INS Nipun formally entered operational service With the hoisting of the Commissioning Pennant.

The ship’s crest and domain motto, ‘Far Beneath, Few Beyond’, reflect the skill, endurance and resolve required to operate in one of the most challenging domains of the maritime environment.