Even before the last Scorpene submarine for India – known as the Kalvari class – entered service, the French firm Naval Group has opted to pull out from the next estimated INR430 billion ($5.6 billion) phase of India’s submarine-building programme.
The Indian Navy (IN) is seeking six Indian-manufactured Project 75I submarines that employ air-independent propulsion (AIP). This is the first time India has sought AIP-equipped submarines, but it has proved a step too far for Naval Group.
‘Due to certain conditions in the RfP, the two strategic partners could not forward the request to us and a few other FOEMs