New Delhi:
India’s long-delayed Project 75(I) submarine programme could finally see some movement in the coming days, with the proposal expected to land before the Cabinet Committee on Security, sources have told NDTV.
The project involves construction of six advanced conventional submarines for the Indian Navy, priced at roughly Rs 70,000 crore.
These submarines are to be built primarily in India by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai, in partnership with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TMKS).
The deal has been under negotiation for years, and talks have stalled repeatedly over commercial terms and technical specs.
A CCS nod would finally clear the way for the contract to be signed and work to begin.
TKMS Building Out Its Indian Footprint
Even before any decision comes through, the TKMS has been quietly building a network of Indian partners, a move that suggests it is taking a longer-term approach in India’s underwater warfare space.
The German firm has signed an MoU with Hyderabad’s VEM Technologies to develop, build, integrate and eventually modernise heavyweight torpedoes.
TKMS’s subsidiary, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, is also involved, with VEM handling integration and testing on the Indian side. That arrangement has since evolved into a teaming agreement, covering tech transfer and a Make-in-India torpedo project.
TKMS has also struck a partnership with Mumbai-based CFF Fluid Control on anti-submarine warfare systems and is eyeing more tie-ups with Indian organisations, including the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Real Question
For India, the deal was never just about buying six submarines. The bigger goal is building up domestic muscle: construction, maintenance, upgrades, and someday, design capabilities of its own.
The boats are expected to come with air-independent propulsion, letting them stay submerged far longer than conventional diesel-electric subs can manage without it. They may also have modern sensors, torpedoes, missiles and electronic warfare systems on board.
Indian officials still have to work out whether the deal gives domestic shipyards and companies enough to actually absorb and build on – not just assemble parts but also understand and eventually improve the technology themselves.
Navy Running Low On Submarines
The delay in the deal comes amid the Indian Navy grappling with a shortfall in its conventional submarine fleet.
The six new boats are meant to bring better underwater endurance, stealth, and surveillance and strike capability. Their air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems mean longer stretches submerged – useful for extended patrols and sea-denial work across the Indian Ocean.
It also comes at a time when Chinese submarine activity in the Indian Ocean is picking up.
Earlier, the MDL built six Kalvari-class submarines with help from France. While the first one entered service in 2017, the last, INS Vagsheer, was commissioned in January 2025.
An Old Partnership Renewed
India has run German-designed Type 209/1500 Shishumar-class submarines for decades, and several of them were built at MDL going back to the 1980s.
The TKMS-MDL tie-up would pick up that thread, but this time it would have a much heavier focus on building things in India, transferring real technology, and growing a broader underwater warfare industry at home.
Assuming the CCS approves the deal, the next steps are contract signing and getting to work. The final paperwork should spell out exactly how the workshare breaks down between the government, MDL and TKMS, plus timelines for production, tech transfer and maintenance down the road.
