Project P-75I Set To Sail: Bidding Process For Six Submarines Under Make In India Set To Begin By October

In a major push for strengthening Indian Navy's arsenal and capabilities, the Government is set to launch the bidding process for Rs 55,000 crore mega project to build six conventional submarines for the force by October via Request of Proposal (RFP) route, reports Economic Times.

The project code-named ‘P-75 I’ gains significance as it will be the first one to be executed under the government's much-talked-about strategic partnership model under which qualifying domestic companies will be joining hands with qualifying foreign defence majors to produce high-end military platforms in India and help reduce the import dependence.

Two Indian firms, which have already qualified all benchmarks are private-sector conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and the state-owned Mazagaon Docks Limited (MDL). Meanwhile, the qualified foreign defence majors include ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems of Germany, Navantia of Spain and Naval Group of France.

"The construction of six submarines under Project 75(I) will provide a major boost to the existing submarine design and manufacturing eco-system in India through transfer of design and equipment technology as well as necessary skill sets," a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

The Project 75(I) refers to the project under which the Indian Navy intends to acquire six diesel-electric submarines with advanced air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems to enable them to stay under water for longer duration. This capability would significantly increase their operational range.

The project holds much significance for the Indian Navy, which aims to acquire a total of 24 submarines, including six nuclear attack submarines, to bolster its underwater fighting capabilities. Presently, the force has a fleet of 15 conventional and two nuclear submarines.