Foreign companies struggle to meet tech specifications of submarine plan

The Indian Navy's plan to build six conventional submarines in India could get stalled with foreign technology partners finding it difficult to meet critical specifications for underwater endurance and stealth, besides having concerns on technology transfer.

The estimated '43,000-crore P75I project is already running several months behind time, with no firm response yet by foreign technology providers (both German, Korean companies) to request for proposals (RFP) floated by shortlisted Indian shipyards.

While Germany's ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) have been in talks with Indian shipyards on the technical aspects of designing a new submarine for India, it is learnt that critical parameters required by the Navy may be difficult to incorporate.


In a communication with Indian shipyards, the foreign companies are learnt to have requested for a toning down of technical requirements even when in the most critical requirement of underwater endurance.

The distinguishing feature of the new submarines is a sea-proven Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system -- a critical component that will enable these boats to remain submerged for over two weeks, against the 2-3 days of underwater endurance of current submarines.

However, foreign technology partners are learnt to have asked for an easing in both underwater range and endurance. Similar concerns have been raised on the stealth rate required by the Navy, besides the dimension of the new submarine.

In addition, foreign partners have also raised concerns on the transfer of technology required under the conditions of qualification. In one case, the bidding foreign partner has not yet obtained permissions from its government to share critical technology that took years to develop.

As reported by ET, objections had also been raised earlier over clauses in the draft contract which placed almost unlimited performance and delivery liability on the foreign technology partner. It is learnt that some of these clauses were modified in July after a top-level meeting in South Block. A dilution of technical requirements, however, could be a more complicated affair.