India is on the cusp of finalising two highly significant submarine acquisition projects collectively valued at over ₹1 lakh crore, marking a decisive boost to the Indian Navy’s underwater warfare capabilities amid China’s growing naval assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

According to authoritative defence sources, the contracts are expected to be sealed by mid-2026 after years of prolonged negotiations and bureaucratic delays.

These acquisitions are seen as vital for bolstering maritime deterrence, given the increasing presence of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in the Indian Ocean and its rapid build-up of advanced nuclear and conventional submarines.

The first project nearing completion is the procurement of three additional Scorpene-class diesel-electric attack submarines. These will be built jointly by state-run Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), Mumbai, and French naval defence giant Naval Group.

Though the Ministry of Defence had cleared the project nearly two years ago at an estimated cost of ₹36,000 crore, progress had stalled due to protracted technical and financial negotiations. Sources now confirm that most of the commercial discussions have been concluded, making the Scorpene follow-on deal the more immediate of the two projects.

This order will be an extension of the existing Project-75 under which six Scorpene-class submarines—Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj, INS Vela, INS Vagir, and INS Vagsheer—were delivered between 2017 and 2024. With induction of the additional three platforms, India is expected to partially bridge the shortfall in submarine numbers, as several ageing Russian-origin Kilo-class and German HDW boats approach the end of their service lives.

Parallelly, the Ministry of Defence is pressing forward with the ambitious Project 75-India (P75-I), which envisages the construction of six new-generation stealth diesel-electric submarines under its Strategic Partnership model. Estimated to cost around ₹65,000 crore, this program is landmark in scale and scope, being described as one of the largest "Make in India" defence collaborations to date.

Leading German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has already partnered with MDL for the project. Unlike the Scorpene follow-on order, P75-I is an entirely new venture designed to incorporate advanced features such as Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems, superior stealth characteristics, and enhanced weapon integration.

As per current projections, cost negotiations for P75-I are expected to commence shortly and may take six to nine months to finalise before the contract is signed.

The Indian Navy is pushing for swift closure of both negotiations, emphasising the urgency of modernising its underwater fleet in light of the rapidly evolving regional security environment.

Deliveries of submarines under both projects, however, are expected to commence only about six years after contract signature, meaning actual fleet augmentation might start around 2032.

This highlights the criticality of timely closure, given that delays in the original Scorpene programme had already dented India’s submarine force levels in the last decade. Sources stressed that it will be the responsibility of MDL to expand its infrastructure and ensure parallel implementation of both projects, lest further delays undermine the Navy’s maritime objectives.

The finalisation of these submarine contracts comes alongside other major Indo-French defence deals, including the April 2025 intergovernmental agreement for procurement of 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets at a cost of around ₹64,000 crore for deployment on the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.

With the convergence of Rafale induction and Scorpene expansion, India is visibly strengthening both its air and undersea warfare capabilities in sync, aiming to build a comprehensive deterrence posture.

In conclusion, the two submarine projects represent a defining phase in India’s maritime security strategy. While the Scorpene order ensures near-term capacity restoration through proven technology, the P75-I programme addresses long-term operational requirements with cutting-edge features.

Together, they aim to elevate India’s undersea warfare capabilities to meet the growing threat posed by Chinese submarine patrols in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

However, successful execution will depend on timely decision-making, efficient industrial collaboration, and enhanced shipbuilding capacity at MDL to avoid the chronic delays that have historically plagued India’s submarine programmes.

Based On PTI Report