The Indian Navy commissioned INS Nipun at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on August 31, completing the induction of its second indigenously built diving-support vessel and expanding its capacity for deep-sea operations and submarine-rescue support.
The commissioning is the material next step after the vessel was delivered to the Navy on July 30. It formally places the ship into naval service following construction, outfitting and trials.
INS Nipun is the second vessel of the Nistar class and follows INS Nistar, which entered service in 2025. The two ships were designed and constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited at Visakhapatnam as specialised platforms for demanding underwater missions.
The vessel is intended to support deep-sea diving, underwater intervention, salvage and rescue-related tasks. It can provide a stable operating base for divers and specialised equipment during missions where precise positioning and sustained support are essential.
A central role of the ship is to function as a mother vessel for a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle. Such systems are designed to reach a disabled submarine, mate with its escape hatch and assist in bringing trapped personnel to safety under conditions where ordinary surface-rescue methods are inadequate.
The platform is also equipped to support remotely operated underwater vehicles and complex diving activity. These capabilities can be used for inspection, recovery, repair support and assessment of objects or infrastructure beneath the sea surface.
Specialised diving-support vessels must be able to maintain position accurately while personnel and equipment operate underwater. They also require medical and decompression arrangements for divers, command-and-control systems and deck facilities capable of handling heavy or sensitive equipment.
The addition of INS Nipun gives the Navy a second modern platform in this category, improving availability and allowing submarine-rescue and diving support to be positioned across a wider maritime area. This is relevant for a fleet that operates over long distances and in varied depths and sea conditions.
The ship also represents the growth of indigenous capacity in complex naval construction. Diving-support vessels combine conventional shipbuilding with specialised underwater systems, precise station-keeping and mission-specific integration, making them more technically demanding than general-purpose support ships.
Construction by an Indian public-sector shipyard supports the Navy’s wider objective of increasing domestic design, manufacturing and maintenance capacity. It also creates operational experience for shipbuilders, equipment suppliers and the industrial partners involved in supporting the vessel through its service life.
The commissioning does not by itself conclude the development of operational proficiency. The ship’s crew and specialist teams will continue working through training, integration and mission-readiness cycles so the platform can be employed effectively with diving and rescue systems.
With INS Nistar and INS Nipun in service, the Navy now has two purpose-built indigenous vessels dedicated to underwater support. Their induction strengthens emergency-response capability for submarines while also supporting deep-sea diving, salvage and other specialised maritime operations.
