INSV Kaundinya

INSV Kaundinya is an Indian navy sailing vessel constructed using sewn ship technique. Her design is based on a 5th century CE merchant ship depicted in the murals of cave 17 of Ajanta Caves complex.

It is named after Kaundinya (or Kaundinya I), who was a legendary first-century Indian mariner who sailed to Southeast Asia, married Queen Soma of Funan, which comprised most of the present day Cambodia. He became the second king of Funan kingdom.

Ancient ships constructed in India often used natural fibers as fasteners instead of metallic nails so as to prevent corrosion. This technique is similar to sewn ships and boats found in other regions of the ancient world. Use of natural fibers like coir for sewn construction is mentioned in texts such as the Yukti Kalpataru, an 11th century encyclopedic treatise on Indian craftsmanship. The idea of reconstructing an ancient Indian sailing vessel was conceptualised by economist, historian and author Sanjeev Sanyal. The concept was realised into a project by Cdr Hemanth Kumar, a Naval Architect from the Indian Navy. The project was funded by Ministry of Culture and was initiated via a tripartite agreement signed among the Ministry, Indian Navy, and Goa-based shipbuilding company M/s Hodi Innovations (OPC) Private Ltd. in July 2023. The keel laying of the ship happened in September 2023.^[2]

Sanjeev Sanyal said about Kaundinya, “He is the first Indian mariner, who we know by name, to have crossed the seas to visit Southeast Asia and had a significant impact on world history,” told The Indian Express. Though India has an old maritime culture dating back to the Bronze Age, we do not know the names of those mariners who were crossing the seas. The first definitive one, who was engaging in maritime voyages to far-away lands and of whom we know, is Kaundinya. His references are recorded in Cambodian and Southern Vietnamese sources, but not in Indian records. We do not know what Kaundinya’s ship looked like. But the ships of that period looked like what we have built”.^[3]

The ship’s design draws inspiration from 5th-century CE murals found in the Ajanta Caves, depicting similar vessels. Without blueprint the Indian Navy and artisans from Kerala headed by master shipwright Babu Sankaran and builder Prathamesh Dandekar^[4] worked together to recreate the ship. The stitched ship is equipped with square sails and steering oars, which are entirely alien to modern day ships. The hull geometry, rigging and sails were reimagined and tested from first principles. Indian Navy collaborated with the Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, for validating the vessel’s hydrodynamic behaviour at sea. In-house structural analysis to assess the wooden mast system, designed and constructed without contemporary materials, was done using iconographic references and hydrodynamic model testing conducted at IIT Madras.^[5]

The Stitched ship project was initiated through a tripartite agreement between the Indian Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Goa-based shipbuilding company M/s Hodi Innovations (OPC) Private Ltd. on July 2023. The keel was laid on 12 September 2023^[6] and ship was commissioned on 21 May 2025. The Indian Navy oversaw the design, technical validation, and construction process. As per Indian Navy, the stitched ship is equipped with square sails and steering oars, which are "entirely alien to modern-day ships". The hull geometry, rigging, and sails had to be reimagined and tested from first principles.^[7]

The ships motifs are the Gandabherunda or the two headed eagle and the Sun. A Simha Yali is depicted on the bow, and a Harappan style stone anchor adorns her deck.^[8] In the ancient “stitched shipbuilding,” technique wooden planks are tied together using coir rope, coconut fibre, and sealed with natural resin. The ship serves as a tangible symbol of India’s long standing maritime traditions of exploration, trade, and cultural exchange.^[9][10]

After its launch in February 2025, the ship was formally inducted by the Indian Navy on May 21, 2025.^[11] The ship is based at Karwar Naval Base and its first transoceanic voyage with a 15-member crew along the ancient trade route from Gujarat to Oman is planned for late 2025.^[12]

• List of active Indian Navy ships