India has taken a major step toward creating its first underwater naval museum by submerging the retired Indian Navy warship INS Guldar off the Sindhudurg coast in Maharashtra. The project is being developed as a unique marine tourism and conservation initiative that combines naval heritage, scuba diving tourism, and artificial reef creation.
INS Guldar, a Landing Ship Tank built in Poland and commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1985, served for almost four decades before being decommissioned in January 2024. Over its operational life, the ship participated in military operations, humanitarian missions, and more than 490 beaching operations for troop deployment.
The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) received the vessel from the Indian Navy in 2025 and prepared it for controlled sinking after extensive environmental cleaning and safety checks. Officials say the submerged ship will function both as an underwater museum and as an artificial reef that could support marine biodiversity and coral growth over time.
Located near the historic Vijaydurg Fort and the Konkan coastline, the project is expected to attract scuba divers, marine tourism enthusiasts, and history lovers from across India and abroad. Authorities also believe it will generate livelihood opportunities for local coastal communities through tourism-related activities.
