During what will be Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s first visit to the country, scheduled for January 12–13, Germany and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) will seek to move forward with the sale of their new Type 214 submarines in order to equip the Indian Navy, which is interested in adding a model characterized by the incorporation of advanced Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems to strengthen its deterrence capabilities. According to reports by local media, the deal would involve six units and would require an investment of around USD 8 billion by New Delhi. The agreement would also open the door to local production through a partnership between the German manufacturer and the Indian company Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
In this regard, it should be recalled that in mid-2024 India and Germany signed a Memorandum of Understanding to advance the aforementioned submarine sale, framed within the Indian Navy’s Project 75(I). At that time, the German Type 214 prevailed over the Spanish S-80 bid, which was being promoted by Navantia in partnership with local shipyards Larsen & Toubro in order to match the German offer and its proposal to manufacture the submarines on Indian territory—an aspect that constituted a key element of the program.
Broadly speaking, it is useful to recall that the Indian Navy currently operates a fleet of around 16 conventional submarines, according to local sources, although approximately 10 of these units are considered too outdated to be sustained over the medium and long term. In detail, it should be noted that many of them have been in service for more than three decades, as is the case with the Sindhughosh-class submarines, which belong to the Russian Kilo class and were inducted starting in the 1980s.
In addition to these units, the Indian Navy also maintains in its inventory a fleet of Type 209 submarines of German origin, originally built by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), which is now part of TKMS. Even at that time, New Delhi sought to involve its domestic industry in the construction process, a fact reflected in MDL’s participation in the building of two of the four submarines acquired. In this case, the relationship even extended to contracts for their overhaul and modernization, as occurred with INS Shankush in 2023.
Finally, broadening the focus on Chancellor Merz’s upcoming visit to India, it is worth highlighting that Indian government sources expect to take advantage of the discussions to explore new avenues of cooperation between both countries, especially following Berlin’s removal of restrictions on the export of a significant number of defense-related items—although it is still unclear which specific areas these efforts would focus on. In addition, ties between the two countries would also be strengthened through German economic investments in Indian cities and preparations for the Intergovernmental Consultations scheduled to take place in Germany toward the end of the year.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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