‘Deal with Germany for 6 subs in a few months, to involve full tech transfer’: Admiral Tripathi

Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who led the Indian Navy during Op Sindoor and spearheaded operations to safeguard India’s energy vessels during the Gulf conflict, is also credited with the Navy ’s technological transformation, fleet modernisation and unprecedented maritime operations. On the eve of his completion of his over two-year term as 26th Chief of Naval Staff since April 30, 2024, Admiral Tripathi spoke exclusively to TOI’s Surendra Singh. Q1. Pakistan is acquiring eight advanced Hangor-class subs from China in a major fleet modernisation program. We can build nuclear subs but we need foreign collaboration for assembling conventional subs in India. Why? When can we expect India to ink the sub deal with Germany to raise our sub fleet? Q2. Sir, during your term as CNS, Indian Navy has witnessed numerous commissioning of make-in-India warships under the Aatmanirbhar initiative as you believe in self-reliance? However, the content of indigenisation in these ships is still hovering around 60 to 90%. Will we be able to make warships with 100% indigenous content in the near future? Q3. During Op Sindoor, Indian Air Force and Indian Army destroyed numerous military assets of Pakistan. In your own words, “The Navy was just minutes away from launching sea-based strikes”. Do you think the Indian Navy will play a big role if the conflict happens again? Q4. Keeping in mind the attacks on India-bound oil tankers during the Iran war, does the Indian Navy have a long-term plan, like setting up naval bases in the Gulf, to secure our maritime trade route? Q5. With China increasing its bases in the Indian Ocean Region, what steps should the Indian Navy take to play a dominating role in the region? Q 6. Under your command, the Navy has witnessed the transition into a future-ready force through the active integration of AI and quantum technology? What are your expectations from the Navy and the Indian govt? A. The undersea domain remains central to maritime deterrence and operational capability. Naturally, the Indian Navy continues to accord very high priority to submarine capability enhancement. Nuclear submarines and conventional submarines involve different operational philosophies, technologies, and distinct industrial ecosystems. While India has made remarkable progress in strategic nuclear submarine capability, certain advanced conventional submarine technologies still require collaborative development and technology partnerships.India's submarine-building journey has always been a phased one, designed to build national capability step by step. Our approach has been to build that ecosystem progressively through technology transfer, indigenous design growth, and domestic manufacturing capacity.The Project-75(I) for the construction of six next-generation conventional submarines equipped with Air Independent Propulsion (in collaboration with Germany) is, therefore, not merely about acquiring submarines or just assembling platforms. It is being pursued under the Strategic Partnership (SP) Model with a complete transfer of technology and design transfer precisely to deepen that national capability, strengthen India's indigenous submarine design and manufacturing ecosystem, and ensure long-term self-reliance. It serves as a critical intermediate step toward our overarching goal: progressively building indigenous capabilities to acquire a total national capability in the design, development, and construction of advanced conventional submarines in India.As regards timelines and commercial processes, these are progressing through the established procurement procedures and are being taken forward by the defence ministry. The contract conclusion — where the strategic partner in this case is Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Germany as the OEM — is likely to take a few more months. Considering the timelines involved, the first submarine is expected to be inducted in 2033, followed by one every year until completion in 2038. The undersea domain remains central to maritime deterrence. P-75(I) is as much about technological capability as it is about submarines.A. The Indian Navy has consistently remained at the forefront of Aatmanirbharta and indigenous capability development, decisively transitioning from a ‘Buyer's Navy’ to a ‘Builder’s Navy’. The commissioning of Udayagiri as our 100th indigenously designed warship marked a defining milestone, and today we take great pride in the fact that all 45 ships currently under construction are being built exclusively in Indian shipyards.As for the current indigenous content, ships commissioned recently feature a near 80% overall indigenisation content: This breaks down to approximately 90% in the Float segment, 60% in the Move segment, and 50% in the Fight segment. While these are substantial, indigenisation must not be viewed only in percentage terms. The real objective is the creation of sovereign capability, technological depth, and long-term