Indigenously designed and constructed diving support vessel DSV Nipun was commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Monday.The DSV Nipun and its sister ship, DSV Nistar, commissioned in July last year, are needed to carry out deep-sea rescue operations.While DSV Nistar was commissioned in July last year and is based on the Eastern Coast, DSV Nipun is tasked to the Western seafront.Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan was the chief guest at the event.Indigenously designed and constructed by Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam, DSV Nipun represents a milestone in India’s pursuit of self-reliance in defence shipbuilding. The state-of-the-art vessel has almost 80 per cent indigenous content.With a length of approximately 120 metres and a displacement of more than 10,000 tonnes, DSV Nipun has the capacity to maintain its position with extreme accuracy. The diving complex onboard consists of underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).As the ‘Mother Ship’ for the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DRV), the induction of this platform would provide a major capability enhancement to the Indian Navy’s submarine rescue preparedness.The ship is also outfitted with an operation theatre, intensive care unit, an eight-bed hospital and medical facilities that are critical to meeting its operational roles. The ship has an endurance of over 60 days at sea. It carries a 15-tonne subsea crane.The Navy said DSV Nipun will further strengthen the Indian Navy’s ability to undertake specialised diving and underwater missions across India’s maritime areas of interest.HSL delivered DSV Nipun to the Indian Navy on July 30, following completion of an extensive programme of outfitting and trials.The Indian Navy has set itself on course to commission 19 warships in 2026, making it the biggest force accretion in a year.Last year, in 2025, the Navy commissioned 14 vessels, including a submarine. The target for 2026 is to commission 19 warships. Collectively, it would mean 33 ships being commissioned over a span of 24 months — between January 2025 and December 2026.Sources said this production tempo is unprecedented in history and demonstrates the maturity of the domestic shipbuilding ecosystem.