For the second time in just over a year, a Diving Support Vessel constructed at Visakhapatnam's own shipyard has departed the docks bound for the Indian Navy.
Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), a Miniratna Category-I Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU), has now delivered Nipun - an occasion yard officials describe as evidence that the city's shipbuilding capacity has grown well past isolated projects. The vessel has been designed and built in accordance with the Classification Rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS).
The handover, sealed through the signing of the Acceptance Document (D448) by Rear Admiral Arvind Rawal, VSM, Chief Staff Officer (Technical) at Western Naval Command and Chairman of the D448 Committee, alongside Rear Admiral Chandrasekharan Raghuram, VSM (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of HSL, occurred nearly one year to the day after the yard delivered the class's lead ship, INS Nistar.
The Meaning Behind The Name
'Nipun' takes its name from Sanskrit, where it signifies someone adept, capable, and thoroughly versed in a particular discipline. Living up to its name, the vessel is a highly specialised platform, built to carry out Deep Sea Dive Operations and Rescue Operations at Sea.
A Vessel Built For Deep-Sea Work
Nipun represents a substantial engineering achievement: measuring 118 metres and displacing over 8,560 tonnes, with indigenous content exceeding 80 percent. It is fitted with Dynamic Positioning, Saturation Diving, Submarine Rescue and Deep-sea Intervention systems - features that, as described by the Navy, make it a comprehensive underwater operations platform.
The ship is outfitted with state-of-the-art Dive Equipment and is capable of Deep Sea Saturation Diving, supported by a Side Diving Stage for diving operations. Its Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) extend the ship's operational reach further, enabling Diver Monitoring and Deep Sea Salvage work. Beyond this, the vessel is designed to serve as the 'Mother Ship' for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vessel (DSRV), allowing for the evacuation of personnel in the event of a submarine emergency.
For a city long associated with shipbuilding and naval infrastructure, this delivery adds further weight to that legacy. HSL officials pointed out that the project involved contributions from roughly 120 small and medium enterprises, many rooted locally, extending economic impact beyond the shipyard itself.
Building On INS Nistar's Legacy
INS Nistar, commissioned at Visakhapatnam in July 2025, was the first indigenously designed and constructed vessel in its class, equipped for intricate saturation diving and submarine rescue tasks - a capability shared by only a small number of navies worldwide. Both INS Nistar and Nipun were launched together at HSL's yard in September 2022, and their parallel journey through construction, trials, and delivery has drawn close attention from the city's industrial community as evidence of the yard's disciplined execution.
At INS Nistar's commissioning, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi described the ship as a "crucial operational enabler" that would help establish India as a "Preferred Submarine Rescue Partner" for the region - a description HSL officials say holds equally true for Nipun as the second vessel in the class.
Local Significance
For Visakhapatnam's shipbuilding workforce, this delivery signals continued specialised employment at a yard that has steadily shifted toward complex, high-value naval contracts rather than routine repair assignments. Local industry watchers note that the DSV programme's track record - two vessels delivered roughly a year apart - bodes well for the yard's chances in upcoming naval shipbuilding tenders.
Hindustan Shipyard Limited is a Miniratna Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) under the Ministry of Defence and ranks among Visakhapatnam's most important industrial employers, carrying a shipbuilding legacy that spans more than eight decades. Beyond the DSV class, the yard has constructed and repaired vessels for the Navy, Coast Guard, and commercial clients, and has also carried out submarine construction and refit projects - a body of work that continues to affirm the city's role as a hub of India's shipbuilding sector.
