VISAKHAPATNAM: State-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) on Thursday delivered Nipun, the second Diving Support Vessel (DSV), to the Indian Navy, marking another milestone in the country’s indigenous naval shipbuilding programme. The delivery comes nearly a year after HSL handed over INS Nistar, the first Diving Support Vessel, to the Navy.
The acceptance document (D448) was signed by Rear Admiral Arvind Rawal, Chief Staff Officer (Technical), Western Naval Command and Chairman, D448 Committee, and Rear Admiral Chandrasekharan Raghuram, VSM (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of HSL.
Built at HSL’s shipyard in Vizag, Nipun is an 118-metre-long vessel with a displacement of more than 8,560 tonnes. The ship has over 80% indigenous content and is designed to support a range of underwater operations.
The vessel is equipped with dynamic positioning, saturation diving systems, submarine rescue capabilities and deep-sea intervention equipment. These capabilities will support underwater maintenance, diving operations, submarine rescue missions and other specialised naval tasks.
The company said the vessel is expected to strengthen the Indian Navy’s underwater operational capability while contributing to the country’s indigenous defence manufacturing programme under Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
With the delivery of Nipun, HSL has completed the construction of both Diving Support Vessels ordered by the Indian Navy, further expanding its portfolio of specialised naval platforms built in India.