INSV Kaundinya, India's stitched sailing vessel, to return during Holi festivities

Mumbai: The iconic INSV Kaundinya, the pioneering stitched sailing vessel that revives India’s ancient shipbuilding and seafaring traditions, will return after her maiden overseas voyage on 2 March 2026 coinciding with the Holi festivities.

The ship will return from its historic transoceanic voyage from Mumbai to Oman and back - marking a big day for India’s maritime history.

The project was initiated through a tripartite agreement signed in July 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and 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 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 ship was launched in February 2025 at Goa.

The Indian Navy had formally inducted INSV Kaundinya at ceremonial event held at Naval Base in Karwar in the Karnataka coast on 21 May 2025 in presence of Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The Mural in Ajanta caves which inspired the ship. 

INS Kaundinya was formally flagged off on 29 December 2025 by Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, in the august presence of Issa Saleh Al Shibani, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to India.

INSV Kaundinya will be flagged-in at the Tiger Gate in Ballard Estate in Mumbai on 2 March 2026.

INSV Kaundinya has been constructed using traditional stitched shipbuilding techniques, employing natural materials and methods that date back several centuries. Inspired by historical sources and iconographic evidence, the vessel represents India’s rich legacy of indigenous shipbuilding, seamanship, and oceanic navigation.

The voyage retraces ancient maritime routes that once connected the western coast of India with Oman, facilitating trade, cultural exchange and sustained civilisational interactions across the Indian Ocean.

The expedition is expected to significantly enhance bilateral relations between India and Oman by reinforcing shared maritime heritage and strengthening cultural and people-to-people ties.

The voyage also highlights the deep historical connections between Gujarat and Oman, reflecting a legacy of cooperation that continues to the present day.

Commander Vikas Sheoran is the skipper of the vessel, while Commander Y Hemant Kumar, who has been associated with the project since its conceptualisation, serves as the Officer-in-Charge of the expedition.

The crew comprises four officers and thirteen naval sailors.