New Delhi

Nearly two weeks after setting sail from Porbandar, Gujarat, the Indian Navy’s sailing vessel INSV Kaundinya built without an engine using a 2,000-year-old stitching technique, has successfully entered Omani waters on its maiden overseas voyage.

Economist and Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council member Sanjeev Sanyal, who is on board, reported Monday morning that the vessel is “well inside Omani waters, north of Sur.” Reflecting on the journey, he noted that the expedition had already fulfilled its primary objective: demonstrating how ancient “stitched” Indian ships could traverse oceans while providing insight into the mariners’ experiences.

The Kaundinya set off on December 29, 2025, retracing the historic maritime trade route connecting India with West Asia. The 16-member crew, led by Commander Vikas Sheoran, is expected to reach Muscat around January 15.

The vessel is inspired by a 5th-century CE ship depicted in Ajanta cave paintings. Constructed by skilled artisans from Kerala under master shipwright Babu Sankaran, the hull was meticulously stitched using coir rope, coconut fibre, and natural resin. The sails are adorned with Gandabherunda and Sun motifs, the bow features a Simha Yali sculpture, and a Harappan-style stone anchor graces the deck, highlighting India’s rich maritime heritage.

Commander Y Hemant Kumar, Officer-in-Charge of the Kaundinya project, celebrated the entry into Omani waters, calling it “a ship of wood with men of steel, flying India’s tricolour along seas once sailed by our ancestors.” Retired naval officer Abhilash Tomy, the first Indian to complete the solo Golden Globe Race, praised the crew on social media, calling their achievement “a feat from another era.”

The project originated from Sanjeev Sanyal’s inspiration drawn from Ajanta paintings and was formalized through a tripartite agreement in July 2023 between the Ministry of Culture, the Indian Navy, and Goa-based Hodi Innovations. Construction began in September 2023, and the ship was launched in February 2025 from Goa.

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Named after Kaundinya, the legendary Indian mariner who sailed to the Mekong Delta in the first century CE, the ship symbolises India’s centuries-old traditions of maritime trade, exploration, and cultural exchange.