New Delhi, January 23: The Defense Ministry has canceled the Rs 70 thousand crore tender of Indian company Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for six submarines. After the rejection of L&T’s proposal in partnership with Spanish company Navantia, now Mumbai’s Mazagon Dockyard Limited (MDL) will build these submarines under Project 75 India in collaboration with a German company.
In the backdrop of the rapid modernization of the Chinese Navy, India is developing the desired capabilities to compete with China and Pakistan in its maritime area. That is why the government has approved several submarine projects, both nuclear and conventional.
In fact, the Indian Navy wants to buy six advanced submarines with the ability to stay underwater for three weeks under Project 75 India. For this, L&T and its partner company had demonstrated the functioning of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) to the Indian Navy team, but the Navy had demanded a system with high stealth features for its requirements in the tender document. The Indian Navy wants a sea-proven AIP system, which is safe and reliable. Submarines should have high stealth features, which can allow them to stay underwater for a long time.
According to the Ministry of Defense, German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Spanish company Navantia were in competition for this deal. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) with the German company and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) with the Spanish company were Indian partners for the submarine contract. German company TKMS provides technology and services for naval ships, submarines and surface ships.
The Defense Ministry has found that Larsen & Toubro’s Rs 70,000 crore tender to get the order of six submarines is not compliant and Navantia has not demonstrated sea certified AIP for P75I.
After the cancellation of the Rs 70,000 crore tender of Indian company L&T, now state-owned Mazagon Dockyard Limited along with its partner German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is the only vendor left in the race to build six submarines.
Now the Defense Ministry is going ahead as per the procedures in the project and checking the process at all levels. Suggestions have also been given to the concerned officials to divide the project equally among the shipyards. This deal to build six diesel-electric submarines for the Indian Navy has been done under India’s Project-75I.
