ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has entered government-authorised negotiations with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) for India’s Project 75I submarine programme, which is valued at about INR 700 billion. The project aims to expand and modernise the Indian Navy’s conventional submarine fleet through the construction of six diesel-electric submarines in India.
The proposed submarines will feature German Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology, which allows vessels to remain submerged for up to three weeks. According to the project framework, technology transfer, training, and local manufacturing are expected to be integral parts of the programme, structured under India’s Strategic Partnership model.
TKMS’s proposal was recommended over the competing Navantia-Larsen & Toubro consortium, as the German company’s AIP system is already operational at sea, whereas Navantia’s version is not expected to be ready before 2026. Field trials conducted by the Indian Navy also favoured the TKMS-MDL consortium.
Negotiations are expected to be concluded within six months, after which the Cabinet Committee on Security will consider final approval. Delivery of the first submarine is projected around seven years from contract signing, followed by the rollout of one vessel per year. There is also potential for the order to expand from six to nine vessels.
India’s plan to induct new submarines comes as its ageing fleet faces phased retirement and as maritime security demands grow in the Indian Ocean region.
Based in Germany, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems designs and builds submarines, surface vessels, and naval systems. The company has previously supplied Type 214 and other submarine classes to several navies worldwide.