India’s first fully stitched ship set to sail from Goa’s Mandovi river

PANAJI : India’s first ancient stitched ship was formally launched on Wednesday inside the Hodi Innovation shipyard on Divar Island. The launch was witnessed by senior officers of the Indian Navy, which included Rear Admiral, KM Ramakrishnan, VSM, Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK), who was the Chief Guest at the function.

The ship has been completely designed and built in Goa by the Hodi Innovation (OPC) Pvt Ltd with the help of expert artisans from across India.

Prathamesh Dandekar, MD, Hodi Innovations in his welcome address said, “This launch heralds the initiative to revitalise the nation’s rich maritime legacy. The ship, constructed using coconut fiber stitching, traditional wooden joinery, and natural resins, stands as a living testament to India’s ancient shipbuilding expertise.” Dandekar applauded the work of the artisans who worked on the ship and thanked the Indian Navy and the Indian government for giving his company the opportunity to build the ship.

Rear Admiral, KM Ramakrishnan, the chief guest in his speech said, “Stitched ships illustrate India’s ancient ship faring tradition. Babu Shankaran and his artisans from Kerala need to be applauded for their unparalled skill and dedication.” The Rear Admiral said that the ship would be docked at the Karwar port and Captain Dilip Donde, India’s first solo, global circumnavigator would mentor a Navy team that would undertake ocean voyages on this ship. “Captain Donde’s expertise is invaluable,” the Rear Admiral said.

This project, envisioned by renowned writer, economist, and historian Sanjeev Sanyal, is being executed through a tripartite agreement between Hodi Innovations (OPC) Pvt Ltd, the Indian Navy and the Ministry of Culture. “This is an experiment in recreating history. We have built an ancient hull, but we still need to learn how it performs at sea,” he said.

Hodi Innovations is a company that builds various types of vessels including sailing boats, motor boats, patrol boats etc of steel, aluminum and FRP for the Indian Defence Forces.