Indian Navy to Commission Second Indigenous Diving Support Vessel Nipun

Indian Navy set to commission the second Nistar class Diving Support Vessel (DSV), Nipun on 31st August 31, 2026, at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. It is a special ship designed and built locally by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, this will add to the capabilities of the Navy in deep sea diving and underwater operations. This ship will also assist in submarine rescue operations.

What is Nipun?

Nipun is a custom-designed diving support vessel designed to conduct diverse diving and underwater operations. It assists naval divers by giving constant support while they perform their diving activities in difficult conditions at sea.

It comes with a range of advanced systems for diving and special underwater interventions. This will help the Navy in conducting its complicated underwater operations and give them necessary support.

When will Nipun be Commissioned?

The Indian Navy will officially commission the vessel named Nipun on 31st August 2026 in Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.

The delivery of Nipun to the Indian Navy took place on 30th July 2026 after undergoing a number of outfitting and trials programmes.

Nipun’s Key Capabilities

Nipun uses modern systems for navigation, platform management, and station keeping. All these systems are very crucial during specialised missions including diving and underwater interventions.

The other key features of Nipun include the following,

• Specialised diving
• Underwater intervention
• Medical facilities
• Submarine rescue support

All these capabilities combine to help Nipun act as a combined platform for underwater operations.

Why Is Nipun Crucial to the Indian Navy?

The entry of Nipun will improve the navy’s capacity to carry out special diving and underwater operations in India’s regions of maritime interest. Specialisation in submarine rescue support is crucial to underwater emergencies.

The other significance of Nipun lies in the fact that it is a great milestone achieved in indigenous shipbuilding for military use. The construction of the ship by HSL shows the improved capacity of Indian shipyards to design specialised ships according to the needs of the navy.

Nipun and India’s Defence Self-Reliance

The indigenous design and construction of Nipun is consistent with India’s larger movement towards achieving self-sufficiency in defence manufacturing. Specialized naval ships demand sophisticated engineering and highly advanced ship-building techniques.

The commissioning of Nipun, hence, has implications beyond its operational function. It represents the growing technical expertise within India’s home-grown defence ship-building industry.