Both TKMS-MDL and L&T-Navantia Offers 60% 'Make in India' Content in Project P-75I Submarine

The competition for India's prestigious P-75I submarine program has intensified, with both major contenders exceeding the Indian Navy's indigenous content (IC) requirements.

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), in collaboration with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), and Larsen & Toubro (L&T), partnered with Navantia, have both committed to a 60% indigenous content level from the very first submarine delivered.

This development marks a significant step in aligning with India's "Make in India" initiative, which aims to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports in the defence sector.

The Indian Navy's initial requirements called for a minimum of 45% indigenous content in the first submarine, gradually increasing to 60% by the sixth and final submarine.

By surpassing this baseline requirement, both the TKMS-MDL consortium, offering the U-212C/D submarine, and the L&T-Navantia partnership, proposing the S-80 Plus submarine, have strategically positioned themselves as frontrunners in the bidding process.

This high level of indigenous content not only demonstrates their commitment to India's self-reliance goals but also highlights the potential for substantial technology transfer, enabling India to develop its own submarine manufacturing capabilities in the future.

Key Points​

• P-75I Project: Aims to enhance the Indian Navy's underwater defense capabilities with advanced conventional submarines.
• 'Make in India' Focus: Both competitors emphasize high indigenous content, exceeding initial requirements.
• Two Contenders: TKMS-MDL (U-212C/D) and L&T-Navantia (S-80 Plus) are the only two bids submitted.
• Technology Transfer: A crucial aspect beyond the submarine delivery, enabling India's future indigenous development.

Additional Open-Source Information​

• The P-75I project is estimated to be worth over ₹43,000 crore (approximately $5.2 billion USD).
• The winning bidder will be responsible for constructing six advanced conventional submarines in India.
• The submarines will be equipped with Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems, enhancing their underwater endurance.
• The project is expected to take several years to complete, with the first submarine delivery anticipated in the late 2020s.

The race for the P-75I contract is now a head-to-head competition between two strong contenders, each offering a high level of indigenous content. This will likely be a decisive factor for the Indian Navy, as it seeks to bolster its submarine fleet and build a sustainable domestic manufacturing base.

 

[sanket]

Both have expressed 60% Indigenous content but both are sanction prone , spanish subs have some US content,& German too war time stand will they supply .

 

[NSR]

Great to know that GoI, MoD, and Indian Navy doggedly pursuing the P-75I submarine project.
It is really wonderful to get 60% TOT by 6th submarine.
Perhaps, it can get 100% TOT if everything goes well and India orders additional 6 subs so it can build as many of them in future of use the TOT in Indian P-76 submarine projects.

Germany supplied 4 HDW-209 submarines and also upgraded them in India too.
German submarines are tops in quality and performance.
Never heard of any stories of stopping supplies on HDW209 submarines so I feel that HDW212 will win.

But the biggest problem is can MDL handle two streams of Scorpenes and HSW212s?
3 new Scorpenes and upgrade of 6 old scorpenes with Indian AIP and 6 new HDW212s
A lot work for MDL which failed indigenize much during Scorpene project.

 

[Pink Panther]

Both have expressed 60% Indigenous content but both are sanction prone , spanish subs have some US content,& German too war time stand will they supply .

Hope they are true to their promise, it should not be the same case of 0% IC with Scorpene, terms of the contract should be stringent and the fine for non compliance should be hefty.

 

[Ranjeet Singh]

We should select German SSK but have vertical launch tubes !

 

[Akshat]

Hope they are true to their promise, it should not be the same case of 0% IC with Scorpene, terms of the contract should be stringent and the fine for non compliance should be hefty.

Exactly. Not everyone is our great friend like France who gave 40% IC despite 0% mentioned in contract. We should have strict terms as others will try to cheat us unlike our chaddi buddy France.

 

[RalphRearden]

Let not include the loosers of MDL in this...these idts ended up building 6 scorpene and have zero, i repeat, zero skillset in replicating even 50% of Scorpene design.

Compare this with L&T.....they are not only quietly designing and building Indian N subs (SSN/SSBN/Midget) but will definitely cross refer the features from one to another where it makes most sense and even end up improving other subs or work towards repairing/upgrading foreign subs...actual value-add.....unlike MDL chai biscuit babus

 

[Boomeranger]

U212 is better if offered at lower prices..

 

[Sandeep]

It’s great that they are prepared to give us at least 60% of indigenous content from the first submarine but what we need is the critical technology like engines, sonars, torpedo counter measure, combat suite software, torpedos, non magnetic hull, AIP etc. Without those we will just be forced to rely on them for the next forty years for expensive spares, parts, update, upgrades etc and they charge a high price because they know we have no choice but to pay it.

Also India should not be scared to replicate any useful technology that we receive on our own indigenous submarine program either. Although the contracts will stipulate that we can’t use any of their technology or parts for other submarines programs without getting a license or permission then India will always be stuck on having to rely on foreign manufacturers when it’s time to build our new next generation or heavily upgraded submarines.

 

[The_rED_dEVIL]

Let not include the loosers of MDL in this...these idts ended up building 6 scorpene and have zero, i repeat, zero skillset in replicating even 50% of Scorpene design.

Compare this with L&T.....they are not only quietly designing and building Indian N subs (SSN/SSBN/Midget) but will definitely cross refer the features from one to another where it makes most sense and even end up improving other subs or work towards repairing/upgrading foreign subs...actual value-add.....unlike MDL chai biscuit babus

I told this earlier, L&T should get this. This means by 2030, India will order 3 more Kalvari and 6 P75I. If MDL gets all the orders it will be a "blunder"... they will take a decade or two for this.

If the L&T gets the order, both the subs can be simultaneously manufactured. Afterwards the order of 12 P76 indegenous submarines can be split between MDL and L&T with 6:6 ratio. So that hopefully by 20450 or 2045, we can have modernised diesel AIP submarine fleet of 27 subs (9 Kalvari, 6 P75I and 12 P76).

 

[123Stormtrooper]

Is it Type212A or Type 212CD or Type 214? If the Germans are offering CD, they are taking Indo German relations to the next level and want to to pay back chinkiese for the virus.

 

[Anant]

Is it Type212A or Type 212CD or Type 214? If the Germans are offering CD, they are taking Indo German relations to the next level and want to to pay back chinkiese for the virus.

Good point, and that is where the disagreement is. Sources mention the Type 212A, Type 212CD, Type 214, and the Dolphin II-class.

In case this is the Type 212A or Tupe 212CD, that is a massive plus. The Type 214 is still somewhat of an aging design, though like the Type 209, it has been an export success (not to the same level, naturally). The Dolphin II, if that is what is on order, is very interesting, and would require a further dive into whether it is the baseline Dolphin II or if it is the modified Drakon sub-variant.

 

[Anant]

We should select German SSK but have vertical launch tubes !

That would require either going with the Drakon sub-variant of the Dolphin II design (built for Israel), going for the Dakar-class design (currently in the pipeline for Israel, though it hasn't been outright offered), or a new design. Unless the first of those is the case, we cannot afford the delay, and would be better placed going for VLS in Project 76.

 

[beencensured]

Strategic partnership model is the reason why India will remain 100% backward and never build their own sub. These Babus's ethics are worse then pr0sititute, and their standards are only to make India a slave. What logic are these hand holding exercises? They want Big money deal as the cost by making local be 1/3. They need commission from both to fight elections. Remember the rush to kill HDW submarine local production? They learned nothing from scorpene submarines? Now, they will private make foreign oem product at three times cost and public should be proud that why China has 66 submarines also supplies to Pakistan and India is still doing nonsense and not utilizing its talents and trying to compete when it has its own nuclear submarine design.

Excuses are many, but government can mold companies to be interest in design and development instead always nonsense of hand holding. Iran, China, Russia, all are building their defenses. But India is stuck in twisted time warp. Like buying twin engine naval medium category aircraft for navy which cannot lift 3.5 tons payload that would increase operation cost doing the same work as what a light single engine aircraft would on STOBAR at more than double the cost for operation and tripple the cost for plane. So, only commission type of logic here. British looted India their henchmen were babus. British did nothing to develop and only degraded India. The Babus begged Nehru and Nehru kept them and their culture has not changed much.

 

[Neal.B]

Just give the deal to Germans and get away with it. They are the pioneer of modern day submarines btw.

 

[Oleg Olkha]

Сolleagues, the Spaniards, unlike the Germans, lack the skills, or experience, that India need. S80 this is a "tortured project": - increasing the length of the hull as a result of "american" insertion, so as not to drown. (He had major problems controlling his weight). This extra volume of air that do not perform any useful functions. For example-VLS...
Be careful about what you're signing. Regards...

 

[Akshat]

Strategic partnership model is the reason why India will remain 100% backward and never build their own sub. These Babus's ethics are worse then pr0sititute, and their standards are only to make India a slave. What logic are these hand holding exercises? They want Big money deal as the cost by making local be 1/3. They need commission from both to fight elections. Remember the rush to kill HDW submarine local production? They learned nothing from scorpene submarines? Now, they will private make foreign oem product at three times cost and public should be proud that why China has 66 submarines also supplies to Pakistan and India is still doing nonsense and not utilizing its talents and trying to compete when it has its own nuclear submarine design.

Excuses are many, but government can mold companies to be interest in design and development instead always nonsense of hand holding. Iran, China, Russia, all are building their defenses. But India is stuck in twisted time warp. Like buying twin engine naval medium category aircraft for navy which cannot lift 3.5 tons payload that would increase operation cost doing the same work as what a light single engine aircraft would on STOBAR at more than double the cost for operation and tripple the cost for plane. So, only commission type of logic here. British looted India their henchmen were babus. British did nothing to develop and only degraded India. The Babus begged Nehru and Nehru kept them and their culture has not changed much.

Bhai you have not yet shown the proof that navy ever said that the plane it wants should lift 9 tons from the Indian carrier. Did you lie again like always?

 

[beencensured]

Bhai you have not yet shown the proof that navy ever said that the plane it wants should lift 9 tons from the Indian carrier. Did you lie again like always?

There were some articles on this topic that Tejas was light single engine and these aircraft had higher capacity.

 

[Akshat]

There were some articles on this topic that Tejas was light single engine and these aircraft had higher capacity.

Again, show the exact statement where Navy mentioned 9 tons. Otherwise even 3.5 tons is also higher than Tejas Naval. Show the 9 ton comment from Navy, Mr. Liar.

 

[beencensured]

Again, show the exact statement where Navy mentioned 9 tons. Otherwise even 3.5 tons is also higher than Tejas Naval. Show the 9 ton comment from Navy, Mr. Liar.

I have to 2017 and find statement that these plane would lift higher payload then Tejas. Do you not find that should be obvious reason to get a more expensive plane.? or you going to lie, it is failed Tejas naval by design will give minimum 3.5 ton payload as these aircraft are design for catobar not stobar mor0n. Certainly you have no brain and have no reason.