INDIA CLEARS KEY PROJECT TO BUILD SIX HIGH-TECH SUBS

NEW DELHI: The Union defence ministry on Friday cleared a project worth ₹43,000 crore for building six advanced submarines in the country under the government’s “strategic partnership” (SP) model to bolster the Indian Navy’s underwater force levels, and counter the rapid expansion of China’s submarine fleet, defence ministry officials said.

The defence acquisition council (DAC), India’s apex procurement body, approved the proposal at a meeting on Friday, and the navy is soon expected to issue requests for proposal (RFP) for the programme, called P-75 India, the officials said.

This will be the first RFP to be issued under the SP model, which seeks to provide a fillip to the government’s Make in India programme, said one of the officials cited above. The model envisages indigenous manufacturing of major defence platforms by an Indian strategic partner who will collaborate with a foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to set up production facilities in the country.

The new submarines will be equipped with air independent propulsion (AIP) systems that will enable the vessels to stay underwater for longer periods and enhance their combat capabilities, said a second official.

In January 2020, the defence ministry cleared two Indian and five foreign shipbuilders to take part in the project to build hightech submarines.