Indian Navy commissions INS Nipun for deep-sea diving operations

The Indian Navy formally commissioned INS Nipun, adding a critical asset to its underwater operations fleet. The vessel represents an enhancement to India's marine engineering and deep-sea exploration capabilities, enabling the Navy to undertake complex diving missions that demand specialised equipment and support infrastructure.

INS Nipun has been purpose-built to facilitate multiple diving methodologies, including saturation diving—where divers remain in pressurised environments for extended periods—alongside conventional air diving and advanced heliox diving techniques. This multifaceted capability allows the Navy to address diverse operational requirements ranging from deep-water salvage operations to subsea infrastructure maintenance and rescue missions.

The commissioning of INS Nipun underscores India's commitment to modernising its naval fleet and enhancing operational readiness in South and Southeast Asian waters. The vessel's induction comes as regional maritime activity intensifies, with growing emphasis on securing critical underwater assets and infrastructure.

The ship will serve as a floating platform for advanced diving operations, equipped with state-of-the-art compression and decompression facilities essential for saturation diving at significant depths. Naval officials indicated the vessel would support training programmes and operational deployments across India's maritime zones.