You are standing aboard INS Khukri — the ship you are exploring right now! This actual warship served the Indian Navy for 32 proud years before being converted into the centrepiece of this museum.

INS Khukri (P49) was India's first indigenously built missile corvette and the lead vessel of the Khukri class. She was laid down on 27 September 1985 at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), Mumbai, launched on 3 December 1986, and commissioned on 23 August 1989. Her commissioning marked a landmark in India's "Make in India" naval programme decades before the term was coined.

The ship was named in honour of the original INS Khukri (F149) — a frigate that became the only Indian Navy ship ever lost in combat, sunk by a Pakistani submarine on 9 December 1971 during the Indo-Pakistani War. The name "Khukri" (the Gurkha curved knife) symbolises swift and decisive action.

A Life of Distinguished Service

During her 32 years of active service, INS Khukri:

• ▸Was commanded by 28 different Commanding Officers
• ▸Sailed an extraordinary 6,44,897 nautical miles — equivalent to 30 circumnavigations of Earth, or three times the distance from Earth to the Moon
• ▸Participated in numerous naval exercises with friendly foreign navies
• ▸Conducted anti-piracy patrols, humanitarian aid missions, and EEZ surveillance
• ▸Served as a training platform for hundreds of naval officers and sailors

Decommissioning & Museum Conversion

INS Khukri was decommissioned on 23 December 2021 after three decades of service. On 26 January 2022 — Republic Day — she was formally handed over to the Diu district administration to be converted into a museum ship and memorial. Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the museum in 2022.

The ship now serves as the anchor of the INS Khukri Museum, Diu — where visitors can walk her decks, explore her compartments, and learn about India's proud naval heritage.

The Original INS Khukri — A Story of Bravery

The original INS Khukri (F149) was a Type 14 anti-submarine frigate that was sunk on 9 December 1971 by the Pakistani submarine PNS Hangor — the first warship sunk by a submarine since World War II. Of her crew of ~194, 18 officers and 176 sailors were killed.

Captain Mahendra Nath Mulla, her Commanding Officer, chose to go down with his ship — becoming the only Indian naval captain to do so. He was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra, India's second-highest military honour. A memorial to the original Khukri stands at Diu, overlooking the sea where she was lost.

General Characteristics