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The Indian Navy’s stitched sail vessel INSV Kaundinya has embarked on a historic voyage on December 29 from Porbandar to Muscat, Oman, retracing ancient sea routes once used by Indian traders and sailors across the Indian Ocean world. The wind-powered journey is intended to showcase India’s shipbuilding heritage and revive awareness of the country’s centuries-old maritime traditions.
Sharing the milestone on social media, the Navy said the sail-only expedition will “showcase the legacy of stitched shipbuilding and India’s timeless maritime connect” with the wider region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also extended his best wishes to the crew.
Wonderful to see that INSV Kaundinya is embarking on her maiden voyage from Porbandar to Muscat, Oman. Built using the ancient Indian stitched-ship technique, this ship highlights India's rich maritime traditions. I congratulate the designers, artisans, shipbuilders and the… pic.twitter.com/bVfOF4WCVm
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 29, 2025
A revival of ancient craftsmanship
INSV Kaundinya, a non-combat, engine-less wooden vessel, was formally inducted into service in May 2025 at Karwar, Karnataka. The ship’s design draws on depictions of ancient boats in the Ajanta cave murals, classical texts, and travellers’ accounts, with scientific validation conducted by Indian research institutions, including IIT-Madras.
Built using the traditional Tankai method, the vessel’s wooden planks are stitched together with coir rope and sealed with natural resins and oils, a practice believed to date back to at least the 5th century CE. The flexible hull helps absorb wave energy, making it more seaworthy under sail.
Constructed under a tripartite initiative involving the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Hodi Innovations, the project was led by master craftsmen from Kerala, including shipwright Babu Sankaran. The 19.6-metre-long vessel carries cultural symbols including the two-headed eagle Gandabherunda and a Harappan-style stone anchor. A 15-member naval crew has been specially trained to operate the ship using traditional sailing techniques.
Charting history across the seas ⚓️🌊#INSVKaundinya retraces ancient Indian transoceanic trade routes, sailing from India to Muscat, Oman—showcasing the legacy of stitched shipbuilding and India’s timeless maritime connect with the Indian Ocean world 🇮🇳🤝🇴🇲#IndianNavy… pic.twitter.com/afGQhMCiFV
— INSV Kaundinya (@INSVKaundinya) December 28, 2025
Retracing the Indian Ocean trading network
The voyage to Oman mirrors the ancient maritime corridor linking India with West Asia, Africa and Southeast Asia, once central to the exchange of textiles, spices, metals and cultural influences.
Economist and EAC-PM member Sanjeev Sanyal said the initiative also seeks to correct historical narratives that overlook India’s long maritime tradition. “Indians were not sitting around waiting for conquerors to give them civilisation,” he noted, highlighting archaeological evidence of stitched-ship trade between the Indus Valley civilisation and ancient Oman.
Named after a legendary mariner
The vessel is named after Kaundinya, a first-century sailor, according to Southeast Asian chronicles, who is believed to have sailed to the Mekong Delta and founded the Funan kingdom, among the earliest Indic-influenced states in the region.
As INSV Kaundinya sails toward Muscat powered only by wind, the journey stands as both a technical experiment and a symbolic tribute to India’s maritime legacy, reconnecting the past with the present across the waters of the Indian Ocean.
Team BharatShakti
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