Indian Navy Takes Delivery of Second Indigenous Diving Support Vessel Nipun

Key facts

• The Indian Navy took delivery of Nipun, its second indigenously built diving support vessel, from Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam.
• Nipun is a 118-metre ship displacing more than 8,560 tonnes, with more than 80 per cent of its value sourced within India.
• The vessel features a dynamic positioning system, saturation diving systems, compression chambers, life-support equipment, a side diving stage, and remotely operated vehicles.
• Nipun will serve as a mother ship for a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle, managing launch, recovery and communications during submarine rescue operations.
• The acceptance document was signed by Rear Admiral Arvind Rawal and Hindustan Shipyard Limited Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral Chandrasekharan Raghuram (retired).
• Nipun was delivered roughly a year after the lead ship INS Nistar was handed over and later commissioned in July 2025; both vessels were launched together in September 2022.
• Hindustan Shipyard Limited is a Miniratna defence public sector undertaking under India's Ministry of Defence, with a shipbuilding history of more than eight decades.
• The diving support vessel programme involved around 120 micro, small and medium enterprises.