Indian Navy Inducts 5th Century Based Ancient Stitched Ship INSV Kaundinya: What We know

The Indian Navy has inducted INSV Kaundinya, an ancient stitched ship based on a 5th-century design, into its fleet.

The ship serves as a tangible symbol of India’s long-standing traditions of maritime exploration, trade, and cultural exchange, a press release by the Defence Ministry stated.

The formal induction ceremony was conducted by Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka.

Vice Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition (CWP&A), and Rear Admiral KM Ramakrishnan, Flag Officer, Karnataka Naval Area, were also present at the event.

The research work for the stitched ship was first carried out by Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisory Council.

Reconstructed from a 5th-century Ajanta painting, the ship was built using the ancient technique of stitching, featuring square sails and steering oars.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat described the induction of INSV Kaundinya as a "historic" moment.

“It is a historic and important day. India's ancient maritime capabilities and shipbuilding skills have been revived. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Economic Advisor, Sanjeev Sanyal, was the first to research this. Reconstructed from a 5th-century Ajanta painting, the ship was built using the ancient stitching technique,” he said.

Elaborating on the construction, he added, “No screws have been used in its construction; it was built by the only remaining family that still possesses knowledge of this traditional art. This is not just an ancient method of shipbuilding, but a resurgence of Indian history.”

“I feel blessed to be here. Such a legacy ship could also be used for tourism in the future,” the Union Tourism Minister remarked.

About the Project

The Ministry of Defence, in a press release, said that the project was initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in Jul 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and M/s Hodi Innovations, with funding from the Ministry of Culture. 

“Following the keel laying in September 2023, the vessel’s construction was undertaken using a traditional method of stitching by a team of skilled artisans from Kerala, led by master shipwright Shri Babu Sankaran. Over several months, the team painstakingly stitched wooden planks on the ship’s hull using coir rope, coconut fibre and natural resin,” the Defence Ministry's statement read. 

The ship was launched in Feb 2025 in Goa.

Named after Kaundinya, the legendary Indian mariner who sailed across the Indian Ocean to Southeast Asia, the ship is set to embark on the next historic phase, involving preparations for a transoceanic voyage along the ancient trade route from Gujarat to Oman, scheduled for later this year, the press release stated.

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