Industry Odisha Bureau, Aug 16: India’s Project 75(I) submarine programme could finally advance toward decisive government action. The proposal involving six advanced conventional submarines is now expected before the Cabinet Committee on Security. The programme, estimated at roughly ₹70,000 crore, represents a critical effort by India to strengthen its submarine fleet. The programme, estimated at roughly ₹70,000 crore, represents India’s critical submarine modernisation effort. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders and Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems form the industrial partnership.
The project has endured years of protracted commercial and technical negotiations with repeated stalling. Government approval through the Cabinet Committee on Security would clear the path for contract signing. Once signed, construction work would commence at India’s premier naval shipyard in Mumbai.
Beyond the submarines themselves, TKMS has been quietly developing a deeper Indian industrial footprint. The German defence company recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Hyderabad-based VEM Technologies. That agreement covers development, integration and eventual modernisation of heavyweight torpedoes for the Indian Navy. ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, a TKMS subsidiary, participates alongside VEM, which manages integration and testing domestically. The arrangement has evolved into a teaming agreement incorporating technology transfer and Make-in-India objectives.
TKMS has separately partnered with Mumbai-based CFF Fluid Control on anti-submarine warfare systems development. (14) The company is also exploring additional partnerships with Indian organisations, including the Defence Research Development Organisation.
For Indian defence planners, Project 75(I) represents more than procurement of six advanced submarines. (14) The strategic objective centres on building indigenous construction capabilities and technological absorption domestically. Submarines would incorporate air-independent propulsion systems allowing extended underwater endurance without surfacing for ventilation. Advanced sensors, torpedoes, missiles and electronic warfare systems would complement the AIP capability.
Critical questions remain regarding whether the industrial framework enables genuine technology absorption by Indian companies. Mere assembly of foreign components differs substantially from building independent technological competence and design capability. India’s defence establishment recognises this distinction as central to long-term submarine programme sustainability.
The Indian Navy currently faces a significant conventional submarine fleet shortage affecting operational capability. The six Project 75(I) submarines would enhance underwater stealth, endurance, surveillance and strike capacity. Extended underwater patrols and sea-denial operations across the Indian Ocean would benefit from AIP technology. Chinese submarine activity in the Indian Ocean has increased in recent years noticeably.
India previously constructed six Kalvari-class submarines with French technical assistance through Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders. The first entered service in 2017, with INS Vagsheer commissioned in January 2025 recently. India has operated German-designed Type 209/1500 Shishumar-class submarines for decades from operational service. Several Shishumar-class boats were constructed at MDL beginning in the 1980s historically.
The TKMS partnership therefore represents evolution of an established industrial relationship into deeper integration. Greater emphasis on domestic construction and technology transfer distinguishes Project 75(I) from earlier arrangements fundamentally. Should Cabinet Committee approval occur, detailed workshare arrangements between government, MDL and TKMS require finalisation. Production timelines, technology transfer schedules and long-term maintenance frameworks will require explicit contractual definition. Project 75(I) ultimately represents India’s evolving commitment to underwater-warfare industrial autonomy and technical mastery.
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