The defence ministry has rejected Larsen and Toubro’s bid in the Rs 70,000 crore tender for acquiring six advanced submarines under the Navy’s Project 75 India initiative.
L&T proposed the deal in partnership with Spanish firm Navanita. The ministry rejected the proposal for not being compliant with Indian Navy requirements, ANI reported citing sources.
The sources revealed that L&T and Navantia showcased their air independent propulsion (AIP) system to an Indian Navy team in Spain. However, while the system demonstrated its capabilities onshore, the Navy’s tender demanded a sea-proven solution.
This development leaves Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), in partnership with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, as the sole contender for the prestigious project. MDL, which recently delivered the final Scorpene-class submarine INS Vagsheer under Project 75, is now poised to undertake additional submarine projects with support from France’s Naval Group.
Recently, the Indian government attempted to modernise the Navy, particularly to counter growing concerns over China’s naval expansion and Pakistan’s maritime activities.
Several submarine programmes, including both nuclear and conventional vessels, have received approval. However, defence experts suggest that India must accelerate its development of advanced underwater capabilities to maintain strategic parity.
Despite the setback, L&T remains a critical player in India’s strategic defence landscape, particularly in submarine projects, with state-of-the-art facilities on both coasts supporting naval operations.
