Business
Pipavav, L&T shortlisted for Rs.60,000 submarine deal: Source
New Delhi, March 9
Larsen and Toubro and
Pipavav Defence, in which Reliance Infrastructure of Anil Ambani Group
is acquiring a majority stake, have been shortlisted for the
Rs.60,000-crore potential contract to build six submarines for the
Indian Navy, sources said Monday.
"Project 75i, as we call it, is
for purchasing six next-generation submarines with air independent
propulsion (AIP) system for the Indian Navy over the next seven-eight
years. It can fire both torpedoes and missssiles," said a senior
official in the defence ministry.
"L&T and Pipavav have been
soortlisted. This was based on the recommendations from a high-level
committee that had inspected the shipyards of several companies, both
private and state-run, to zero in on the potential candidates," the
official added.
The government had given its clearance in three
years ago for six submarines with AIP capability and subsequently
decided last year to go for their construction on Indian yards as part
of Prime Ministrer Narendra Modi's "Make in India" campaign.
As
against the initial import of two submarines, it was decided to make all
the six submarines in India, as part of the effort to create defence
infrastructure within the country while going for the best suitable
collaboration with a foreign vendor under transfer of technology.
L&T's
mega shipyard, where the company intends to execute the project, is at
Kattupalli, about 40 km north of Chennai, on the east coast. This
complex also includes a container port and a modular fabrication
facility.
Pipavav's facility is at the location by the same name
on the Gujarat coast and claims a modern, versatile engineering and
fabrication facilities with shipbuilding infrastructure that is also
suitable for the construction of a wide range of warships and
submarines.
Of the Rs.123,000 crore cleared late last year for
defence purchases, a whopping Rs.60,000 crores has been set aside for
these six stealth submarines.
According to defence experts, what
makes these Project 75i submarines unique is that they could be powered
by an indigenous AIP system that enables them stay underwater for longer
periods than conventional boats that have to frequently surface to
recharge their batteries.
"Conventional submarines usually need
to come to the surface every three-four days for oxygen," said an
official of the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) that
has developed such a system. "But qith AIP, they can stay for under
water for two-three weeks," he told IANS.
"It makes the vessel noise-free. India is the only non-Western nation to have this technology."
The
official said the Naval Materials Research Laboratory, based at
Ambernath in Maharashtra, which has developed the AIP, has already tied
up with several state-run firms and the private sector as partners in
the project. Production will start as soon as the final tests are over.