- Maiden voyage to Muscat revives India’s millennia-old maritime routes
- Traditional shipbuilding meets modern naval seamanship
- Symbol of India’s indigenous knowledge and seafaring legacy
NE DEFENCE BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, DEC 23
In a powerful tribute to India’s maritime heritage, the Indian Navy’s pioneering stitched sailing vessel INSV Kaundinya will embark on her maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar, Gujarat, to Muscat, Oman, on 29 December 2025, symbolically retracing the ancient sea routes that once connected India to the wider Indian Ocean world.
Flagged off from Gujarat’s historic coastal town—long associated with seafaring and trade—the voyage marks a revival of India’s civilisational links with West Asia, underscoring Gujarat’s enduring role in India’s maritime story.
Reviving an Ancient Indian Shipbuilding Tradition
INSV Kaundinya is inspired by depictions of ancient Indian ships and constructed entirely using the traditional stitched-plank technique, a method once prevalent along India’s coastline and across the Indian Ocean. Unlike modern vessels, her wooden planks are stitched together using coconut coir rope and sealed with natural resins, without the use of metal fastenings.
This indigenous technology enabled Indian mariners to undertake long-distance ocean voyages to West Asia, Africa and Southeast Asia centuries before the advent of modern navigation tools and metallurgy.
A Convergence of Heritage, Craftsmanship and Naval Expertise
The vessel is the result of a tripartite collaboration between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy and Hodi Innovations, aimed at rediscovering and reviving India’s indigenous knowledge systems. Built by traditional artisans under the guidance of master shipwright Babu Sankaran, the project was supported by extensive research, design validation and seaworthiness trials conducted by the Indian Navy and academic institutions.
Despite its ancient construction techniques, INSV Kaundinya is fully ocean-capable and seaworthy, demonstrating the robustness of traditional Indian shipbuilding knowledge.
A Ship Named After a Legendary Mariner
Named after Kaundinya, the legendary Indian mariner believed to have sailed to Southeast Asia in ancient times, the vessel stands as a living symbol of India’s historic identity as a maritime nation and cultural bridge across the seas.
The maiden voyage from Gujarat not only reconnects India with its maritime past but also reinforces the Indian Navy’s commitment to preserving heritage while strengthening contemporary maritime diplomacy and outreach.
