MARGAO, Feb. 26 -- Team Herald

In a step towards reviving India's maritime heritage, the country's first ancient stitched ship was officially launched at the Hodi Innovation shipyard on Divar Island. The event, held on Wednesday, was attended by senior Indian Navy officials, including Rear Admiral KM Ramakrishnan, VSM, Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK), who was the chief guest.

Designed and built entirely in Goa, the ship is a tribute to India's traditional shipbuilding techniques. The vessel has been crafted using coconut fibre stitching, traditional wooden joinery, and natural resins, methods historically used in ancient Indian maritime construction. The project brought together expert artisans from across India, incl...