NEW DELHI: India and France are likely to advance discussions on cooperation for the Indian Navy’s indigenous nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) programme during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris beginning Saturday, sources in the know told TNIE.
Even as the two sides take stock of the pending proposal for three additional Scorpene submarines, the spotlight is likely to be on India’s Rs 40,000-crore SSN programme, with France keen to leverage its Barracuda-class expertise to secure a role in the Navy’s most ambitious underwater warfare project.
“Any cooperation will have to involve substantial transfer of know-how in areas such as submarine design, acoustic management, metallurgy and propulsion technologies, even as the indigenous SSN programme remains firmly under Indian control,” the source said.
Sources said that earlier discussions with the French have included technologies associated with pump-jet propulsion and acoustic quieting, though no formal cooperation arrangement has been announced yet.
India currently does not operate a single SSN. The next Akula-class submarine being leased from Russia, Chakra-III, is now slated for delivery around 2028, nearly three years behind schedule.
The CCS had in October 2024 cleared the first phase of the Navy’s SSN programme, paving the way for the construction of two indigenous nuclear-powered attack submarines at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam. These will be the first two submarines under the Navy’s long-term plan to induct six SSNs.
The boats are expected to displace around 10,000 tonnes and be powered by indigenous 190 MW nuclear reactors. The first submarine is unlikely to enter service before 2036-37.
The capability gap comes at a time when China is steadily expanding its undersea reach into the Indian Ocean. The PLA Navy fields over 60 submarines, including SSNs capable of long-range deployments, while Chinese submarines and survey ships are making increasingly regular forays into the region.
Significantly, France remains the only Western country to have offered assistance for India’s closely guarded SSN programme. Russia has so far enjoyed a monopoly in the domain through the lease of Akula-class submarines.
The French push also comes after Australia scrapped a multi-billion-dollar submarine programme with the French in favour of the AUKUS arrangement with the US and UK. This gave a major blow to France’s export ambitions.
Sources said that the proposal for three additional Scorpenes is also expected to figure in the discussions. If cleared, the submarines are expected to feature higher indigenous content and provisions for the DRDO-developed fuel-cell based Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system.
The DAC had cleared the proposal in July 2023 and subsequent commercial negotiations brought the cost down from over Rs 50,000 crore to around Rs 36,000 crore. However, the contract is yet to be inked and remains pending final CCS approval.
The additional Scorpene proposal has also lost momentum with the parallel Rs 70,000-crore Project-75I programme for six advanced submarines with German collaboration moving closer to fruition after securing Finance Ministry clearance and now awaiting the final CCS nod. Even so, sources clarified that the proposal for three additional French-origin Scorpenes remains under consideration and is expected to figure in the Modi-Macron talks.
The six Kalvari class subs built under the original $3.75-billion Project-75 contract signed in October 2005 are now all in service, with INS Vagsheer, the sixth and final submarine, commissioned in January 2025. MDL and French shipbuilder Naval Group have since tied up to market an evolved Scorpene design for exports.
Furthemore, it is learnt that Gulf security and maritime cooperation will also figure in the talks, with France and the UK seeking greater coordination to secure commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. While France has invited India to join the proposed multinational escort arrangement, the Indian Navy has so far preferred to undertake its own missions under Operations Sankalp and Urja Suraksha to protect Indian shipping in the region.
Defence cooperation has emerged as the bedrock of the India-France strategic partnership, with the Rs 63,000-crore deal for 26 Rafale-Marine fighters signed last year. The proposed acquisition of 114 Rafale fighters for the IAF is also expected to come up for discussion. The talks follow India’s recent Letter of Request to France for the mega fighter programme, with integration of indigenous weapons and systems among the key requirements.
Progress in Safran’s talks with DRDO and HAL for the co-development of fighter and helicopter engines is also expected to be reviewed.
