**Summary:**
On July 18, 2025, the Indian Navy will commission its first indigenously designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel (DSV), the *Nistar*, at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. The commissioning ceremony will be attended by the Hon'ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh. Built by Ms Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, the *Nistar* will join the Eastern Naval Command to support deep-sea diving and submarine rescue operations. This project aligns with the Government of India's focus on self-reliance ("Aatmanirbharta") in defense production, achieving over 80% indigenous content with the participation of 120 MSMEs.
The *Nistar*, a successor to a former submarine rescue vessel acquired from the USSR in 1969, embodies the motto "Surakshita Yatharthta Shauryam" (Deliverance with Precision and Bravery). The vessel is approximately 120 meters in length, displaces over 10,000 tons, and utilizes a Dynamic Positioning System for precise maneuvering. Its capabilities include air and saturation diving systems, Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), Side Scan SONAR, and serves as a mother ship for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV), significantly enhancing submarine rescue preparedness.
The *Nistar* is equipped with an Operation Theatre, Intensive Care Unit, an eight-bedded hospital, and hyperbaric medical facilities. It has an endurance of over 60 days at sea, helicopter operation capabilities, and a 15-ton subsea crane. The commissioning of the *Nistar* will enhance India's underwater operational capabilities and strengthen its strategic maritime presence in the Indian Ocean Region.
Key Entities Referenced
INDIAN NAVY: The naval branch of the Indian Armed Forces, responsible for maritime security.
Diving Support Vessel DSV Nistar: First indigenously designed Diving Support Vessel of the Indian Navy.
Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: Location where DSV Nistar is being commissioned.
Shri Rajnath Singh: The Hon'ble Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister) of India.
Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: The company that indigenously designed and constructed the DSV Nistar.
Eastern Naval Command: One of the three command formations of the Indian Navy.
Aatmanirbharta: Government of India's vision for self-reliance, particularly in defence production.
Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle DRV: A component of the Indian Navy's submarine rescue preparedness.
Ministry of Defence
INDIAN NAVY TO COMMISSION THE FIRST
INDIGENOUS DIVING SUPPORT VESSEL –
‘NISTAR’
Posted On: 10 JUL 2025 4:36PM by PIB Delhi
Indian Navy is all set to commission the first of the class Diving Support Vessel (DSV) Nistar at Naval
Dockyard, Visakhapatnam on 18 Jul 2025 in the presence of the Hon'ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath
Singh. The event marks the formal induction of the ship which has been indigenously designed and
constructed by M/s Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam. On commissioning, the ship will join
the Eastern Naval Command to support deep sea diving and submarine rescue operations.
The ship is a testament to the GoI's resolute focus on nation building through self-reliance in defence
production and unwavering focus on Aatmanirbharta. A total of 120 MSMEs have participated in the
construction of this ambitious, unique and state-of-the-art vessel, achieving more than 80% indigenous
content. The project is a step towards realising the Indian Navy's vision of designing and constructing
complex indigenous platforms.
In her earlier avatar ex-Nistar, was a submarine rescue vessel which was acquired by the Indian Navy from
the erstwhile USSR in 1969 and commissioned in 1971. In two decades of service, she had significantly
contributed towards the Indian Navy's diving and submarine rescue operations. With the commissioning of
this ship, the legacy of ex-Nistar continues onwards, with her motto 'Surakshita Yatharthta
Shauryam' translating to 'Deliverance with Precision and Bravery', aptly reflecting the main roles of the ship.
With a length of approx 120 meters and displacing of more than 10,000 tons, the DSV has the capacity to
maintain its position with extreme accuracy, using Dynamic Positioning System. The expansive diving
complex onboard which consists of both Air and Saturation Diving Systems, along with
underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Side Scan SONAR, substantially enhances the
operational envelope of the vessel. As the ‘Mother Ship’ for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DRV),
the induction of this platform would provide a major capability enhancement to Indian Navy's Submarine
rescue preparedness.
The ship is also outfitted with an Operation Theatre, Intensive Care Unit, Eight Bedded Hospital and
Hyperbaric Medical Facilities which are critical towards meeting her operational roles.
Endurance of over 60 days at sea, capacity to undertake stage through helicopter operations and a 15-
ton subsea crane make the ship a very versatile platform.
The commissioning of Nistar and its induction into the Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command will not only
enhance India's operational preparedness in the underwater domain, but will also reinforce its strategic
maritime posture across the Indian Ocean Region.
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VM/SPS 134/25
(Release ID: 2143722)