Defence Ministry issues tender worth Rs 50,000 cr for “Make in India” submarines

The Defence Ministry has given a major boost to Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat by issuing tender worth around Rs 50,000 crores for building six conventional submarines. This will fall under the Project-75 India.

Defence sources told ANI that the tender has been issued for the construction of six conventional diesel-electric submarines within the country. “The tender has been issued to the Mazagon Dockyards Limited and Larsen and Toubro. The two Indian companies identified as strategic partner would now select one partner each from the five global original equipment manufacturers including firms from France, Germany, Russia, South Korea and Spain.”

The Navy, under Project 75-India, will build six conventional diesel-electric submarines that would be bigger than the under construction Scorpene-class submarines built at the Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai. The underwater vessels would be equipped with heavy-duty firepower so that it will have at least 12 Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LACM) along with Anti-Ship cruise missiles (ASCM). The project, as per the report, is being carried out under the strategic partnership model which aims at promoting India as a manufacturing hub for defence equipment, besides establishing an industrial and R&D eco-system capable for meeting the future requirements of the Armed Forces. This will also give a much need boost to exports.

“This would be one of the largest “Make in India” projects and will serve to facilitate faster and more significant absorption of technology, and create a tiered industrial ecosystem forsubmarine construction in India,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement. “From a strategic perspective, this will help reduce current dependence on imports and gradually ensure greater self-reliance and dependability of supplies from indigenous sources.”

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Moreover, India will be enabled to achieve its 30-year submarine construction programme envisioned by the government to acquire national competence in submarine construction and for the Indian industry to independently design and construct submarines in India. The Ministry added stated that the availability of new technologies and advanced manufacturing capabilities to the industry will be an important step towards enhancing the nation’s quest for self-reliance in modern conventional submarine construction and sustainment activities while creating direct and indirect job opportunities in India.