• The commissioning ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the SNC, in the presence of senior naval officials and other dignitaries.

• What? Commissioning of India’s first indigenously designed and built Diving Support Craft (DSC)
• Vessel: DSC A20
• Who? Indian Navy
• Where? Kochi (Kerala)
• Series: First of Five DSC
• Developer: TRSL
• Capacity: 390 tonnes
• Standards: IRS Naval Standards

About DSC A20:
Background: The contract to build five DSCs was signed on 12 February 2021 between the Ministry of Defence(MoD) and Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL), Kolkata (West Bengal, WB).
Design and Construction: DSC A20 is the first of five DSC, constructed by TRSL.

• It has been designed in accordance with the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) naval standards.
• Its design was validated through hydrodynamic studies and model testing conducted at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh, AP).

Purpose: The vessel is specially designed to support diving and underwater operations in coastal waters and is fitted with modern diving systems that ensure high safety and efficiency.
Features: The ship features a catamaran hull, providing better stability, more deck space, and improved performance at sea. It has a displacement of about 390 tonnes.
Capabilities: It includes diving support for naval diving teams, Underwater inspection and repairs of ships, ports, and harbour infrastructure, salvage assistance and harbour clearance operations, diving training platform for naval personnel, and coastal operational deployment and assistance during emergencies.
Alignment: The initiative aligns with Government of India (GoI)’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) and Make in India initiative.
About Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL):
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Umesh Chowdhary
Headquarters – Kolkata, West Bengal
Established – 1997