**Summary:**
On July 8, 2025, Hindustan Shipyard Limited delivered Nistar, the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel, to the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam. Designed and built according to Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) classification rules, Nistar is a specialized warship capable of deep-sea diving and rescue operations, a capability held by only a few navies globally. The vessel, whose name means "liberation, rescue, or salvation" in Sanskrit, measures 118 meters and has a tonnage of nearly 10,000 tons. It is equipped with advanced diving equipment, enabling deep-sea saturation diving up to 300 meters and diving operations up to 75 meters from a side diving stage. Nistar will also function as the mother ship for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV) for submarine rescue and personnel evacuation during underwater emergencies. Furthermore, the ship utilizes Remotely Operated Vehicles for diver monitoring and salvage operations down to 1000 meters. With approximately 75% indigenous content, the delivery of Nistar marks a significant achievement in the Indian Navy's pursuit of indigenous construction, aligning with the Government of India's "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" vision and the "Make in India" campaign.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Defence: The Indian government ministry responsible for defence.
Nistar: First indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel.
Hindustan Shipyard Limited: The company that delivered the Diving Support Vessel Nistar.
Indian Navy: The naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces, recipient of the Nistar.
Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: Location where the Diving Support Vessel Nistar was delivered to the Indian Navy.
Indian Register of Shipping: Classification society whose rules were followed in the design and construction of Nistar.
Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel DSRV: A vessel that Nistar will serve as a mother ship for, used for submarine rescue.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat: Government of India's vision for a self-reliant India, in line with which Nistar was constructed.
Ministry of Defence
DELIVERY OF FIRST INDIGENOUS DIVING
SUPPORT VESSEL - ‘NISTAR’
Posted On: 09 JUL 2025 10:30AM by PIB Delhi
‘Nistar’, the first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel, was delivered by Hindustan
Shipyard Limited to the Indian Navy on 08 Jul 2025 at Visakhapatnam.
The warship has been designed and built as per classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).
The ship is highly specialised and can undertake Deep Sea Diving and Rescue Operations – a capability
with select Navies across the globe.
The ship’s name, ‘Nistar’, originates from Sanskrit and means liberation, rescue or salvation.
The ship, measuring 118 m with a tonnage of nearly 10,000 tons, is installed with state-of-the-art
Diving Equipment and has the capability to undertake Deep Sea Saturation Diving up to 300 m
depth. The ship also has a Side Diving Stage for undertaking Diving Operations up to 75 m
depth.
The ship will also serve as the ‘Mother Ship’ for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), to rescue
and evacuate personnel, in case of an emergency in a submarine underwater. The ship is equipped with a
combination of Remotely Operated Vehicles to undertake Diver Monitoring and Salvage Operations up to
a depth of 1000 m.
The delivery of Nistar, with nearly 75% indigenous content, is yet another milestone in the Indian Navy’s
quest for indigenous construction and is in line with the GoI’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the Make
in India campaign.****
VM/SPS 132/25
(Release ID: 2143335)