India ‘s state-owned shipyard Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) has revealed details about various projects the yard is participating in during a quarterly interaction with investors.

MDL had tied up with Germany’s TKMS for the Indian Navy’s Project 75I program to build six submarines. MDL has submitted the price bid for the project prior to the closure of the Indian Navy’s request for information on August 1. The project cost is “significantly” more than the $5.4 billion projected initially. Order placement is expected to take over two years, with the first first submarine to be delivered in six years from contract signing. L&T, which partnered with Navantia, is the competitor to MDL for this contract.

MDL is also in talks with the Indian Navy for producing three additional Scorpene submarines, in collaboration with France’s Naval Group. Movement regarding this is expected within the next six months. Naval News understands that the two firms are also considering collaboration regarding the potential export of submarines. The sixth and final Kalvari-class Scorpene submarine, Vagsheer, built under Project 75, will be delivered in March 2024. The refit of the first submarine, INS Kalvari, is now expected to commence in mid-2025. The submarine is expected to be fitted with the DRDO AIP module during this refit. MDL could not confirm whether the three new submarines will receive this AIP system from the start, with the final decision dependent on its readiness by the time of build. Naval News understands however that with advances in Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery technology, these future submarines could feature such technology instead of AIP, for similar or even better performance. In 2022, MDL had released an expression of interest for Li-Ion batteries for underwater platforms. The Indian Navy has also expressed its interest in such systems.

Further, MDL has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau to work jointly on indigenization of over 8,000 components used in the Scorpene submarines. Discussions are ongoing between the two on collaboration regarding Navy’s Project 76 for a class of indigenous diesel-electric submarines following Project 75I.

MDL is developing a midget submarine as a research and development project. It will be a multi-role submarine, which can be deployed for special operations, oceanography and tourism. The prototype pressure hull was successfully tested at a land based facility in July 2023. All components in the submarine are planned to be indigenous. It is expected to be launched towards the end of 2024.

The Next Generation Corvette (NGC) program of the Indian Navy, which was cleared in June 2022 is expected to result in a request for proposal by the end of 2023. The $4.5 billion project is for eight multi-role vessels.

A follow-on order for the Project-17A Nilgiri-class frigates, called Project 17B, has been under discussion for over a year. The project is expected to be for eight ships which could be split between two shipyards with the project expected to cost over $7.5 billion. Project 17A involves seven ships split 4:3 between MDL and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). MDL will deliver its first frigate Nilgiri in mid-2024.

MDL is the only Indian shipyard that has built destroyers. Currently, the yard is executing the Project 15B Visakhapatnam-class destroyer project. The first two ships, INS Visakhapatnam and Momugao, have been inducted by the Indian Navy. The third destroyer, Imphal, will be delivered ahead of schedule by October while the fourth ship, Surat, is slated to be delivered in mid-2024.

Discussions are ongoing regarding the Next Generation Destroyer (NGD) program of the Indian Navy. MDL stated to investors that the project is now expected to be for a total of eight ships split in two phases, up from the five to six ships expected earlier. The project is now estimated to be worth over $10 billion. MDL is procuring a floating dry dock for $60 million which is capable of accommodating the NGD.

Broader details regarding the NGD remain scarce and have been a subject of intense speculation for years although the project remains in its initial stage. However, some expectations regarding the equipment and characteristics it could feature can be made based on known ongoing developmental projects as well as specifications publicized for other “Next Generation” vessels of the Indian Navy. A DRDO S-band primary radar, an integrated composite mast and Integrated Electric Propulsion (IEP) are likely to be key requirements for the destroyer.

New munitions being developed by India such as the Long Range-Land Attack Cruise Missile (LR-LACM), SMART torpedo delivery missile and long range versions of the BrahMos missile can be expected to be among the primary offensive armament. Defensive armament may include under-development Long Range Surface to Air Missiles (LRSAM), Medium Range SAMs (MRSAM) which are currently in service, VL-SRSAM for short range air defence as well as ballistic missile interceptors. A universal vertical launch system by DRDO may be used for these missiles. Directed energy weapons and DRDO’s Torpbuster torpedo interdiction system are also likely to be featured. The first of these destroyers can be expected to enter service by the early 2030s. India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years India proceeding to build a massive fleet of warships and submarines in the coming years IgMp