New Delhi, July 18: The Minister
of State for Defence Sanjay Seth today lauded the Indian Navy and the
indigenous ship building industry for their sustained efforts in consistently
enhancing the indigenous content in warships through homegrown solutions and
innovative technologies. He was speaking at the commissioning of INS Nistar,
the first indigenous designed and constructed Diving Support Vessel being
built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited.
He stated that the commissioning of
INS Nistar firmly reinforces the role of the Indian Navy as the ‘First
Responder’ and ‘Preferred Security Partner’ in the region. The indigenous
shipbuilding Industry has been one of the pillars of the Government’s
‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign, the Minister said, adding, presently all of the
57 new warships in the pipeline are being constructed indigenously.
The ship, which is the first of the
two Diving Support Vessels being built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, is
designed to undertake complex deep sea saturation diving and rescue operations
– a capability select Navies possess across the globe.
The Minister expressed confidence in the capabilities
of the Armed Forces, stating that India stands committed and resolute to tackle
any form of misadventure from its adversaries. He described the induction of
INS Nistar as a technological leap and a milestone in the Indian shipbuilding
chapter towards building a future ready force.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief
of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi termed INS Nistar as not just a
technological asset, but a crucial operational enabler. “Nistar will provide
critical submarine rescue support to the Indian Navy as well as our regional
partners. This will enable India to emerge as a ‘Preferred Submarine Rescue
Partner’ in this region. The commissioning of Nistar is testimony to the
growing capability and maturity of our maritime industrial base, and another
shining example of Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” he said.
MKS/VY/BHOR
