Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday witnessed the float out of the first of six Scorpene submarines (Project 75) from Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) here.
Parikkar is in Mumbai to review the P-75 submarine programme administered by the Western Naval Command (WNC).
According to reports, six Scorpene-class submarines are being built at BDL in collaboration with French company DCNS.
The Indian Navy at present operates only 14 conventional diesel-electric submarines. Ten of them are ageing Russian Kilo class and four are German HDW class submarines.
The government is planning on getting 30 submarines before 2022, but some of the projects have been delayed. The original delivery schedule for the first submarine was December 2012 and remaining submarines were to be delivered at intervals of one year each.
The delivery schedule was delayed to get approval from the government for cost revisions.
