Indian Submarine-Building Consortium Expects 2 Vessels Contract

A consortium of Indian government-owned companies has been formed to bid for the P-75 (I) project of the Indian Navy for building six submarines with air independent propulsion and other advanced technologies.

The consortium comprises of heavy electricals manufacturer, BHEL, Mishra Dhatu Nigam (MDN), which makes special alloys and materials and Hindustan shipyard Limited, Vishakapatnam, a South India based shipyard which has experience in the repair and retrofitting of submarines.

An executive of MDN was quoted by Indian newspaper Business Standard as saying that while fabrication would be taken up by BHEL Trichy facility and its subsidiary, BHPV, at Visakhapatnam, Midhani will supply the forged metal plates, rings made from special grade steels and alloys, and the final integration will take place at the HSL yard in Visakhapatnam. The consortium is expecting to clinch work for at least two submarines from the total six submarines, according to the executive.

The project 75-I was recently approved by the Indian Defence Acquisition Council for building 6 subs in an Indian shipyard with help from a foreign technology partner. The project cost has been pegged at US$11.1 billion. An RFP is expected shortly though no timeframe has been indicated.

In this context, the new consortium is well placed to bag a part of the order since HSL will have to one of the locations for the building of the submarines. Mumbai based Mazgaon Docks Ltd (MDL) is the other. The new consortium will have to find a foreign partner to execute the project.

Potential international partners include DNCS which has partnered with MDL and is executing an earlier project, the Project 75 for building six submarines. Rosoboronexport and HDW of Germany are the other likely partners.