Visakhapatnam: Indigenously-designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, the vessel is the first of the two Diving Support Vessels being commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth.

Lauding the Indian Navy and the indigenous ship building industry for their sustained efforts in consistently enhancing the indigenous content in warships through home-grown solutions and innovative technologies, Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth stated that the commissioning of INS Nistar firmly reinforces the role of the Indian Navy as the ‘first responder’ and ‘preferred security partner’ in the region. “The indigenous shipbuilding industry has been one of the pillars of the government’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign. Currently, all of the 57 new warships in the pipeline are being constructed indigenously,” he emphasised.

Expressing confidence in the capabilities of the Armed Forces, Sanjay Seth stated that India stands committed and resolute to tackle any form of misadventure from its adversaries. He described the induction of INS Nistar as a technological leap and a milestone in the Indian shipbuilding chapter towards building a future-ready force.

The main role of the vessel includes undertaking deep sea diving and conducting rescue operations from distressed submarines in case of an emergency.

The specialised diving complex onboard extends over multiple decks, and the ship is fitted with the state-of-the-art systems required for saturation diving missions.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi termed INS Nistar as not just a technological asset but a crucial operational enabler. “Nistar will provide critical submarine rescue support to the Indian Navy as well as our regional partners. This will enable India to emerge as a ‘preferred submarine rescue partner’ in this region,” he underlined, adding that the commissioning of Nistar is a testimony to the growing capability and maturity of the maritime industrial base and another shining example of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

INS Nistar was installed with state-of-the-art diving equipment such as remotely operated vehicles, self-propelled hyperbaric lifeboats, and diving compression chambers. It can undertake diving and salvage operations up to 300-m depth.

It serves as the ‘mother ship’ for deep submergence rescue vessels to rescue complex underwater missions and evacuate personnel from a dived submarine in distress well below the surface.

The commissioning of the 118-m ship with a displacement of more than 10,000 tons upholds the Indian Navy’s resolve towards continuously strengthening its maritime capabilities in the underwater domain.

With the participation of 120 MSMEs and incorporation of more than 80 percent indigenous content, Nistar symbolises India’s ability to build complex ships on a par with international standards.

The name ‘Nistar’ originates from Sanskrit and means liberation, rescue or salvation. In her previous version, the vessel was a submarine rescue vessel which was acquired from the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1969 and commissioned in 1971.