India’s Project-75I represents a watershed in naval modernisation, positioning the country to restore and extend its undersea deterrence after decades of evolving strategic pressure from its neighbours and shifting great-power dynamics.

The program's core aim is to induct six next-generation conventional submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP), enabling far greater submerged endurance and stealth compared with earlier diesel-electric designs.

This leap in capability sits at the intersection of historical lessons, present-day regional crises, and long-term ambitions for indigenisation and strategic signalling.

The selection of the German Type-214NG submarine over Spain’s S-80 Plus was driven primarily by the maturity of the fuel-cell-based AIP system, acoustic stealth, and lower lifecycle risk. The Type-214NG’s AIP allows submarines to remain submerged for extended periods, reducing the need to surface for recharging.

In practice, endurance and stealth tend to determine success in contested waters, where detection risk governs operational feasibility. Industry sources emphasise that reliability and survivability often outweigh novelty in undersea warfare, and the decision reflects this practical calculus.

Indigenous content remains a central objective of Project-75I. The plan envisions six submarines built in India at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems providing design authority, engineering expertise, and technical consultancy.

Indigenous content is expected to start at around 45 per cent and rise to nearly 60 per cent by the final vessel. This approach aligns with Make in India goals and aims to create a domestic submarine-building ecosystem capable of sustaining and upgrading capabilities over time.

The project is also viewed as a technology transfer and capability absorption exercise as much as a procurement programs. The government has repeatedly asserted that Project-75I is about acquiring platforms and, crucially, about absorbing complex submarine design and construction technologies.

The strategic intent is to nurture a home-grown industrial base that can support future indigenous designs and follow-on projects, thereby reducing vulnerability to supply disruptions and foreign policy shifts.

The political and strategic context amplifies the program’s urgency. India’s conventional submarine fleet has aged, even as adversary undersea activity in the Indian Ocean region — notably from China and Pakistan — has grown.

The Type-214NG submarines are designed to complement India’s expanding maritime posture, providing a survivable, persistent undersea capability to monitor choke-points, track opposing submarines, and execute sea-denial operations when required. These capabilities form a critical layer in a broader deterrence architecture that seeks to deter aggression and reinforce maritime trade security.

In Pakistan, the emphasis on undersea power gains renewed relevance against a backdrop of historical lessons from the 1971 war, when Indian naval operations crippled Karachi’s maritime logistics and fuel supply chains.

Those events underscored how naval dominance can shape land campaigns by constraining a rival’s access to essential resources. Today, the logic remains relevant as Pakistan seeks to upgrade its own submarine force with Chinese assistance, while attempting to limit Indian strategic advantages in the maritime domain.

Ties between undersea capability and regional tensions intensified after tensions with Pakistan flared in 2025, revealing the deterrent value of credible naval power. Karachi, a focal point of Pakistan’s maritime trade and energy imports, represents a prime target for demonstrating the credibility of India’s sea-denial capabilities.

By equipping six submarines with extended underwater endurance, India aims to sharpen this deterrent and expand its range of strategic options without necessarily resorting to open conflict.

China’s expanding undersea footprint adds another layer of complexity. The People’s Liberation Army Navy operates a growing submarine fleet, including nuclear-powered platforms that have ventured into the Indian Ocean.

Tibetan deployments and port calls by Chinese submarines, coupled with Pakistan’s own submarine upgrades aided by Chinese assistance, contribute to a more intricate and contested maritime environment.

Against this backdrop, the introduction of German-origin submarines designed for stealth and endurance represents a meaningful counterbalance to China’s expanding underwater reach and a hedge against strategic imbalances in the region.

Germany’s role in this shift is notable not just for the submarine technology but for broader strategic and industrial collaboration. Chancellor Merz’s visit to India occurred within a framework of expanding Indo-German cooperation and broader alignment on security in the Indo-Pacific.

The potential for a long-term industrial relationship extends beyond submarine procurement, touching on defence innovation, technology transfer, and prospective co-development initiatives with implications for European and Indian defence ecosystems.

The procurement process has been gradual and strategic. Negotiations began in earnest in September 2025, with final techno-commercial negotiations framed to conclude within a few months, subject to political and bureaucratic approvals.

While initial plans to extend the French-origin Scorpene-class submarines were put on hold in favour of Project-75I, France’s broader strategic partnership with India remains active. The German option thus stands at the forefront of India’s ambition to diversify its defence suppliers and reduce reliance on traditional partners.

From an industrial perspective, Project-75I is expected to serve as a bridge toward more ambitious indigenous submarine design efforts, with a projected indigenisation target of around 60 per cent by the final boat.

This trajectory supports MDL’s growth as a centre of excellence in submarine construction and positions India to pursue further domestic design and manufacturing capabilities. The program’s success would lay the groundwork for follow-on projects, potentially including totally indigenous designs under a future P-76 framework.

In the long term, the six Type-214NG submarines will significantly enhance India’s capacity for covert surveillance, sea denial, and precision land–attack considerations, supported by advanced sensors, torpedoes, and missiles.

The project’s success would not only bolster maritime deterrence but also catalyse a broader industrial and technological ecosystem within India, reinforcing the government’s stated aim of strategic autonomy in defence capabilities.

Project-75I embodies a synthesis of deterrence theory and industrial strategy. It seeks to restore naval parity in the undersea domain, adapt to a more volatile security environment, and build a robust domestic supply chain capable of sustaining highly complex weapon systems.

The initiative, if concluded on schedule, would mark a pivotal step in India’s ongoing project of credible, domestically supported maritime power.

Based On TOI Report