INSV Kaundinya, a recreation of a 5th-century stitched ship inspired by Ajanta murals, during its induction ceremony at the Karwar Naval Base, Karnataka. Photo: PIB via PTI Photo
INSV Kaundinya, the Navy’s pioneering stitched sailing vessel built using traditional techniques, will undertake her maiden overseas voyage to Oman starting December 29, officials said on Tuesday.
The vessel will be flagged off from Porbandar in Gujarat for Muscat, symbolically retracing the historic maritime routes that connected India with the wider Indian Ocean world for millennia.
Inspired by depictions of ancient Indian ships and constructed entirely using traditional stitched-plank techniques, INSV Kaundinya represents a rare convergence of history, craftsmanship and modern naval expertise, the defence ministry said.
The Indian Navy’s pioneering stitched sailing vessel, which revives India’s ancient shipbuilding and seafaring traditions, will undertake her maiden overseas voyage on December 29, it said.
“Unlike contemporary vessels, her wooden planks are stitched together using coconut coir rope and sealed with natural resins, reflecting a shipbuilding tradition once prevalent along India’s coasts and across the Indian Ocean,” the ministry said.
This technology enabled Indian mariners to undertake long-distance voyages to West Asia, Africa and Southeast Asia long before the advent of modern navigation and metallurgy, the officials said.
The project was undertaken through a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy and Hodi Innovations as part of India’s efforts to rediscover and revive indigenous knowledge systems.
“Built by traditional artisans under the guidance of master shipwright Shri Babu Sankaran and supported by extensive research, design and testing by the Indian Navy and academic institutions, the vessel is fully seaworthy and capable of oceanic navigation,” the ministry said in a statement.
Named after the legendary mariner Kaundinya, who is believed to have sailed from India to Southeast Asia in ancient times, the ship embodies India’s historic role as a maritime nation.
Published – December 23, 2025 03:53 pm IST
