Source : WION
BREAKING: Germany expected to sign $5.2 billion deal to manufacture 6 P-75I submarines in India
Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius arrived in India on Tuesday for a two-day visit, and the top agenda of the visit is a $5.2bn deal that involves the manufacturing of six diesel submarines for the Indian Navy. The submarines will be made in India, a major win for India’s campaign to boost local defence manufacturing.
The deal is expected to be announced at a time when Russia’s defence industry is struggling due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, prompting India to look for other partners to source military hardware for its armed forces.
Preliminary agreement to be signed this week
A preliminary agreement or a memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed between Germany and India during the two-day visit of Boris Pistorius. As per a report by Hindustan Times, Thyssenkrupp AG’s marine arm and India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited are expected to jointly bid for the $5.2bn deal.
Germany is hopeful it will get the multibillion-dollar deal as France pulled out of the project last year. Pistorius told German media that he will assist discussions between executives of his nation and their Indian counterparts over the signing of the submarine deal when he visits India’s financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday. “This would be a big and important contract not only for German industry but also for India and the Indian-German strategic partnership,” Pistorius said.
India’s dependence on Russia “not in Germany’s interest”
Pistorius also said that the goal of his nation was to wean India off its security dependence on Russia and emerge as a strong defence partner of New Delhi. “But of course, we can’t have an interest in the long run that India is so dependent on Russia’s delivery of weapons or other materials. Therefore, we have to think about that, what we can do,” he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Germany’s focus on Indo-Pacific
Germany is keen to boost its defence ties with India amidst the rising security threat from China. Berlin also identifies the importance of the Indo-Pacific region in terms of security, freedom of navigation and international economic challenges.
Pistorius explained that Germany may not have an active role in the region, but it will continue to mark its presence by deploying warships and vessels. Germany deployed its first warship to the Indo-Pacific – the frigate Bayern – in 2021 and will send another ship to the region in 2024. BREAKING: Germany expected to sign $5.2 billion deal to manufacture 6 P-75I submarines in India BREAKING: Germany expected to sign $5.2 billion deal to manufacture 6 P-75I submarines in India BREAKING: Germany expected to sign $5.2 billion deal to manufacture 6 P-75I submarines in India BREAKING: Germany expected to sign $5.2 billion deal to manufacture 6 P-75I submarines in India IgMp
