Indian Ship Kaundinya: Two weeks after leaving India, the Indian Navy’s sailing ship INSV Kaundinya has entered the waters of Oman. The ship started its first foreign journey from Porbandar in Gujarat. This special vessel has no engine at all and builders made it using a stitching method that is more than 2,000 years old. The ship crossed the Arabian Sea only with wind and human effort.
On Monday morning, economist Sanjeev Sanyal who is a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council and is sailing on the ship, shared an update. He said the vessel had reached Omani waters near Sur. He wrote, “Day 15. We are now well inside Omani waters, north of Sur. Winds are down and back to glassy seas.
Nonetheless the main objective of the Kaundinya project now stands proved: we have demonstrated how ancient “stitched” ships from India could cross the oceans, we know the strengths and drawbacks of this design, and have good idea of the human experience of ancient mariners,” Sanyal posted.
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He also shared a photo of the sunset from the ship and posted a video from earlier days. In the video, he explained “what it looks like sleeping on the deck in full moonlight.”
Recreating an Old Trade Route
The ship began its journey on December 29, 2025. It sailed from Porbandar toward Muscat in Oman. This route follows the ancient sea trade path that once linked India with West Asia and other lands far away. The main goal of this journey is to show how people from India traveled across oceans many centuries ago using simple ships and strong skills.
Sanyal had shared another message online he wrote, “INSV Kaundinya flying the tricolour across the Arabian Sea: Ship of Wood with Men of Steel.” His words showed pride in the crew and the ship that carries India’s flag across open waters.
Commander Y Hemant Kumar, who has worked on this project from the start and now serves as the Officer-in-Charge of the ship, also confirmed the entry into Omani waters. He posted, “Under sail, flying India’s Tricolour, retracting seas once sailed by our ancestors.”
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Retired Navy officer Abhilash Tomy also shared his happiness. Tomy became the first Indian to finish the Golden Globe Race, one of the hardest solo sailing races in the world. He wrote, “Oman can now see a mighty little ship flying the tricolor bobbing in their waters. Its sailors have just accomplished a feat from another era. I am sure the winds carry the smells of Omani cuisine, which should guide them to a quick entry. Home revs now. Well done guys! You deserve all the rest land has to offer.”
The ship takes inspiration from a 5th-century CE vessel shown in the Ajanta Caves paintings. Commander Vikas Sheoran leads the ship as skipper along with a crew of 16 members. The ship is expected to reach Muscat around January 15.
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The idea for this project came from Sanjeev Sanyal after he saw the Ajanta cave artwork. In July 2023, the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy and Goa-based Hodi Innovations signed a three-party agreement. The Ministry of Culture funded the project. Builders laid the keel in September 2023. Skilled workers from Kerala, led by master shipbuilder Babu Sankaran, stitched the ship together using coir rope, coconut fibre and natural resin. The team worked for many months before launching the ship in Goa in February 2025.
The sails show symbols like the Gandabherunda and the Sun. A carved Simha Yali sits on the bow. A Harappan-style stone anchor rests on the deck. Each part reminds people of India’s old sea traditions. The ship is named after Kaundinya, a famous Indian sailor from the first century who crossed the Indian Ocean and reached the Mekong Delta. There, he married a Cambodian princess.
