How does indigenous deep-sea rescue infrastructure strengthen India's position as a 'net security provider' in the Indian Ocean Region?

Deep-sea rescue infrastructure — Diving Support Vessels (DSVs), Deep Submergence Rescue Vessels (DSRVs) and saturation diving systems — is a capability only select navies possess [3]. With the commissioning of INS Nistar and the delivery of its sister ship 'Nipun' on 30 July 2026 [1], India moves from being a consumer of such assistance to a provider of it across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Strategic autonomy in submarine rescue

• INS Nistar can undertake diving and salvage operations up to 300 metres and serves as the 'mother ship' for a DSRV to evacuate crew from a submarine in distress [3].
• Two hulls, launched together at Visakhapatnam in September 2022 [2], allow simultaneous cover of both seaboards — critical since submarine rescue is a "golden hour" mission.
• Ends dependence on foreign flyaway rescue teams, whose arrival is subject to distance and political clearance.

Extending security as a regional public good

• Several IOR littorals operate submarines without any indigenous rescue capability; India's DSVs can be offered as first-responder assets, converting hardware into goodwill.
• Onboard Remotely Operated Vehicles and state-of-the-art dive equipment [1] also enable wreck search, salvage and HADR tasks after maritime accidents.
• Participation in multilateral submarine-rescue exercises builds the interoperability that makes such offers credible — operationalising SAGAR/MAHASAGAR vision.

Indigenous industrial depth

• Both DSVs were designed and constructed at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, with over 80% indigenous content and 120 MSMEs participating [3].
• Domestic design ownership ensures faster repair turnaround and freedom from export-control restrictions during a crisis — sustainment, not just acquisition.

Deep-sea rescue capability is thus a low-cost, high-trust instrument of maritime diplomacy: it saves lives without threatening anyone. Sustained investment in DSRV assets, trained saturation divers and standing rescue agreements with IOR partners would convert this platform advantage into an enduring regional safety architecture, consolidating India's role as the Indian Ocean's preferred first responder.