P-75 INDIA PROJECT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: The Navy’s mega-submarine deal under Project-75I, estimated at over ₹43,000 crore, has crossed a major milestone in the process with the Field Evaluation Trials (FET) to check the compliance of the bids received now complete.

P-75 India Project

• About: In June 1999, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved a 30-year plan for the Navy to indigenously build and induct 24 submarines by 2030.
• Phase-wise Production Plan: Two production lines were established: P-75 and P-75I, with each line intended to produce six submarines.
• Project-75(I) Specifications: Involves indigenous construction of six modern conventional submarines equipped with Fuel-Cell based Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, advanced torpedoes, modern missiles, and advanced countermeasure systems.
• Strategic Partnership Model: P-75I marks India's first project under the Strategic Partnership Model, where an Indian Strategic Partner (SP) will collaborate with a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to build submarines in India.
• Commissioning of First Submarine: The first Kalvari Class (Scorpene Class) submarine under P-75 was commissioned in December 2017.
• Progress and Launches: Five submarines have been built subsequently; the final one, Vagsheer, was launched and is expected to be commissioned by late 2023.
• Current Partnerships: MDL and Larsen and Toubro (L&T) have been selected as Strategic Partners, and five OEMs—Naval Group (France), ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (Germany), ROE (Russia), Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (South Korea), and Navantia (Spain)—are in contention for the project.