India’s largest warship builder Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) has signed an exclusive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with France’s Naval Group to jointly offer evolved submarines to a friendly foreign nation. The agreement was signed on 16 October and announced by the company on 17 October. The collaboration is aimed at strengthening India’s submarine design and export capabilities as part of its growing defence manufacturing programme.
This partnership builds on a previous agreement signed between MDL and Naval Group in July this year for the transfer of technology related to the installation of indigenous energy system plugs developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). These plugs will be integrated into the Indian Navy’s Kalvari-class submarines, which are based on the French-origin Scorpene platform.
Under the technology programme, Mazagon Dock will carry out the integration of the DRDO-developed energy system plugs into the submarines. This complex operation, known as Jumboisation, involves precision cutting of a submarine’s hull, inserting an additional energy module to enhance capability and endurance, and then rejoining the structure to ensure full operational integrity. Naval Group, as the original equipment manufacturer, will provide technical oversight, proprietary materials and specialised training support to Mazagon Dock’s engineers for the project.
The latest MoU is expected to further deepen strategic naval cooperation between India and France while also supporting India’s ambition to become a global hub for submarine manufacturing and exports. It also complements India’s focus on achieving self-reliance in defence technology under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
In December 2024, the Ministry of Defence signed two major contracts worth a total of Rs 2,867 crore to boost the capability of Indian submarines. The first contract, valued at Rs 1,990 crore, was awarded to Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders for the construction of an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) plug, which will significantly enhance the underwater endurance of conventional submarines. The second contract, worth Rs 877 crore, was signed with Naval Group of France for integrating a new Electronic Heavyweight Torpedo (EHWT) system, developed in collaboration with DRDO, into the Indian submarine fleet. |
