Rs 43,000-crore tender to build six state-of-the-art submarines cleared

This is first case processed under strategic partnership model

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) apex procurement body, on Friday gave the go-ahead for the purchase of six conventional submarines under Project 75 (I).

The DAC cleared the issue of a request for proposals (RFP), which “envisages indigenous construction of six conventional submarines equipped with the state-of-the-art air independent propulsion (AIP) system at an estimated cost of Rs 43,000 crore”, stated an MoD release on Friday.

“This is a landmark approval, being the first case processed under the strategic partnership (SP) model,” said the ministry.

The SP model, which is detailed in the Defence Acquisition Policy of 2020