Meanwhile the competing bid by Indian conglomerate L&T & Spain’s Navantia was reportedly found non-compliant with requirements. The S80 submarine was on offer by this partnership, but a lack of “sea-proven AIP” is reportedly the primary reason for the disqualification. With this, the MDL – TKMS bid is now the sole choice available to the MoD. However, the type of submarine on offer was not confirmed by either firm.
Earlier, MDL had confirmed news circulating in Indian media regarding the submarine projects P75(I) and P75(Additional Submarine). Specifically, MDL confirmed that the commercial bid submitted by MDL had been opened by the MoD for further processing in a stock exchange filing.
In another filing, MDL clarified that there have been no negotiations with the Indian Navy about the P75(I) project and provided a timeline regarding recent advancements.
- Price bid submission to MoD on August 1, 2023
- Communication with respect to Field Evaluation Trails being successful on July 26, 2024
- Opening of Commercial Bid by MoD on January 16, 2025
- Invitation received on January 23, 2025 for the first round of commercial negotiations to be held on January 27, 2025.
Regular Naval News contributor Alex Luck said about the design: “We know Type 214NG or alternatively 214I is the proposed design.”
“It would mirror the outer hull shaping of 212CD. It would presumably integrate either the German AIP or whatever the Indians want sourced from DRDO,” he added.
The P75(I) project brings India back to where it started, with Germany’s HDW forming a partnership in the 1980s with MDL to build HDW Type 209 Class SSKs. Four submarines were built and continue to be operated by the Indian Navy as the Shishumar Class.
About the importance of P75(I) for the German shipbuilder, Alex Luck commented: “I think its an important win for TKMS to keep the 214 development path active and in that regard is most valuable. That being said Indian procurements tend to be drawn out and fraught with management risk, hence I think its an important, but complex event for Germany.”
P75(I) aims to secure transfer of technology and technical assistance to achieve local content goals and eventually build and design India’s own submarines. However, the project has been delayed and India has begun working on its own indigenous design of SSKs under Project 76.
In the interim, the Navy is left with an aging fleet of Shishumar & Sindhughosh class submarines from Russia, recently augmented by the induction of six Kalvari class Scorpene submarines under Project 75, also built by MDL.
To prevent further shortfall in numbers, India is finalizing a deal with France to build three additional Scorpene submarines by Naval Group at MDL. MDL stated that for the P75 (Additional Submarine) project, commercial negotiations are in process. Recently, the MoD also signed deals for integration of torpedoes and a DRDO AIP module with Kalvari class.
