Ahead of the three-day visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Germany, there was much chatter about how an inter-governmental agreement for supplying six stealth submarines to the Indian Navy would be finalised during the visit.
German defence major ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) had been holding price negotiations with the defence ministry for a deal to supply the stealth submarines to the Navy. If India and Germany agree to sign the submarine deal under Project-75(I), this is expected to be one of the largest defence deals between the two sides.
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The deal is also being billed as one of the biggest 'Make in India' projects in recent years.
The submarines are expected to be based on advanced derivatives of the Type 214 submarine, with customisation to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy. A major feature of the deal is the integration of Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems, which allow submarines to remain submerged for extended periods without surfacing, enhancing stealth and survivability in contested waters.
TKMS is expected to provide design expertise and critical technologies, and most of the construction will take place in India with MDL playing the lead role, marking a major push toward defence indigenisation.
The press statement from the ministry of defence after the meeting between Singh and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius was silent on such a deal, even as the Indian defence minister highlighted the need to co-develop and co-produce defence equipment, especially in the field of niche technologies.
However, Singh visited the TKMS Submarine building facility in Kiel, and according to the defence ministry, the visit provided an "opportunity to exchange views on advanced maritime capabilities and explore avenues for collaboration in naval technologies in line with India’s defence modernisation priorities."
Singh’s visit to the submarine-building facility of TKMS in is a strong signal of serious intent from the Indian side for the deal. Such high-level visits to defence manufacturing facilities are usually undertaken when discussions are at an advanced stage, and both sides are exploring the final contours of cooperation.
A Reuters report, meanwhile, said Germany expects to sign the planned submarine deal between the two countries soon.
"I am very, very confident that I will be able to sign it soon," the news agency quoted Defence Minister Pistorius as saying, adding that he expects that the deal to be signed in the next three months.