PM Modi wishes INSV Kaundinya crew as it sails to Oman; all you need to know about the engineless ship

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday conveyed his best wishes to the crew of INSV Kaundinya as the Indian Navy’s engineless vessel set sail from Porbandar in Gujarat to Oman, retracing historic maritime routes linking India with the Gulf region.

The vessel was formally flagged off by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, in the presence of Oman’s Ambassador to India, Issa Saleh Al Shibani. INSV Kaundinya is undertaking its maiden overseas voyage to Muscat, symbolically reconnecting India with ancient Indian Ocean trade routes.

In a post on X, the prime minister said it was heartening to see the vessel embark on its first journey and extended his wishes for a safe and memorable voyage. He also highlighted that the ship, built using the ancient Indian stitched-ship technique, reflects India’s rich maritime traditions and congratulated the designers, artisans, shipbuilders and the Indian Navy for their efforts.

Reviving ancient shipbuilding traditions

INSV Kaundinya has been constructed entirely using traditional stitched-plank techniques inspired by depictions of ancient Indian ships. Unlike modern vessels, its wooden planks are stitched together using coconut coir rope and sealed with natural resins, a method once prevalent along India’s coastline and across the Indian Ocean. This technology enabled Indian mariners to undertake long-distance voyages to West Asia, Africa and Southeast Asia centuries ago.

The project was undertaken under a tripartite memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy and M/s Hodi Innovations, as part of efforts to revive indigenous knowledge systems. The ship was built by traditional artisans under the guidance of master shipwright Babu Sankaran, with research, design and testing support from the Indian Navy and academic institutions. The vessel is fully seaworthy and capable of oceanic navigation.

Design, dimensions and crew

INSV Kaundinya measures approximately 19.6 metres in length and 6.5 metres in width, with a draft of around 3.33 metres. The vessel is powered entirely by sails and is operated by a crew of about 15 sailors trained to handle the ship under traditional sailing conditions.

Named after the legendary mariner Kaundinya, believed to have sailed from India to Southeast Asia in ancient times, the ship underscores India’s historic role as a maritime nation. According to the Ministry of Defence, the vessel is based on a 5th-century CE ship depicted in the Ajanta cave paintings and was launched in February 2025 at Goa.

Navy’s role and cultural elements

The Indian Navy oversaw the design, technical validation and construction of the ship. With no surviving blueprints, the design was inferred from iconographic sources and validated through hydrodynamic model testing at IIT Madras and internal technical assessments.

The vessel incorporates several culturally significant elements, including sails bearing the Gandabherunda and Sun motifs, a sculpted Simha Yali on the bow, and a Harappan-style stone anchor on the deck, reflecting India’s ancient maritime heritage.

Historian and Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister member Sanjeev Sanyal said the project seeks to reclaim India’s overlooked maritime past, marked by centuries of seafaring, trade and exploration across the Indian Ocean.

(With inputs from Agencies)