India’s First Diving Support Craft, DSC A20, Commissioned

The Indian Navy commissioned DSC A20, first of the five Diving Support Craft (DSC), built indigenously by Titagarh Rail System Limited, during a ceremony held at Naval Base, Kochi, on 16 December 2025.

The event was presided over by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena and hosted by Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu with senior naval officers, representatives of Titagarh Rail System Limited, Kolkata and distinguished guests in attendance.

The contract for building five Diving Support Craft was signed between ministry of defence (MoD) and Titagarh Rail System Limited, Kolkata on 12 February 2021. The Hydrodynamic Analysis and Model Testing of the ship during design stage was undertaken at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam.

DSC A20 has been designed and constructed as per the classification rules of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). It is a catamaran-hull ship, with a displacement of approximately 390 tons. Fitted with state-of-the-art diving equipment, the vessel would play a vital role for underwater repairs and inspections, harbour clearances and critical diving missions in coastal waters.

Commissioning of DSC A20 is yet another milestone in the Indian Navy’s quest for indigenous shipbuilding, upholding the government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The indigenous construction of such a specialised platform in the Indian Navy stands as a testament to growing domestic capabilities, self-reliance and reducing dependency on imports.