More than one shipyard to make six submarines

More than one shipyard will be chosen to build six advanced submarines for the Indian Navy, and it may take around two years for the process to start, the navy vice chief, Vice Admiral P. Murugesan, said on Tuesday.

Asked about the report of a committee which was looking at shortlisting shipyards for the submarines, he said the "next level" will come very soon.

"We are going to make the submarines indigenously... But we have to follow the DPP (Defence Procurement Procedure)," he said, adding that the assessment of the report will start "any time soon".

A tender potentially worth Rs.60,000 crore -- to build the six submarines -- is expected to be floated soon.

Asked when the manufacturing process is expected to start, he said it will take around "two years".

"It will not be only one shipyard... there will be a competitive process, the (defence) ministry may agree to all of them, or some of them," he said.

Six firms, including Larsen & Toubro, Pipavav Defence and the state-run Mazagon dockyard, are in he fray, as per sources.

The government gave its clearance three years ago for six submarines with air-independent propulsion (AIP) capability and subsequently decided last year to build them in Indian yards as part of the Make in India initiative.

The orginal plan was to import two submarines. But it was later decided to make all six in India so that the domestic defence infrastructure is strengthened while allowing Indian companies to tie up with the best-suited foreign collaborator.