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MOD ALLOWS CHANGES IN NAVY'S $7 BILLION SUBMARINE TENDER, NO CHANGE IN CAPABILITY REQUIREMENTS

YB WEB DESK. Dated: 8/8/2022 12:50:05 PM

New Delhi,Aug 07 Clearing roadblocks for taking forward the $7 billion deal for building six new submarines for the Indian Navy, the Defence Ministry has given its approval for amendments in the ongoing tender that would allow the project to move forward. Along with the approvals taken in terms and conditions for the programme, the Indian Navy has given a commitment to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) that the next line of submarines would be designed in India and would be cleared for exports too. “The approvals for amendments to the ongoing tender were given in a high-level defence ministry meeting held recently. These would allow the tender to move forward for indigenous submarine construction,” government sources told ANI. The qualitative requirements of the program have not been changed and would continue to remain so in future, the sources clarified. As per sources, the Defence Ministry had received a proposal for the removal of the clause for “joint and severe liability” from the tender. The Defence Ministry had also taken “proper and detailed” legal advice before finalising the changes to the tender. As per the defence acquisition procedure in India, for any changes to be made in the ongoing tenders, approval has to be taken from the Defence Ministry only. The tender for six new submarines named Project 75 India is being processed under the Strategic Partnership policy as per which the boats would be constructed jointly by a foreign vendor in tie up with an Indian firm. The foreign partner would be known as the collaborator or supporter while the Indian partner