As one of the two competing industry teams, German firm Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is partnering with Indian Mazgaon Dockyards Limited for the Project-75 India tender to build six new conventional submarines. The German government is fully supporting these negotiations, according to Germany’s Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackerman.

The German envoy stated in an email interview that Berlin was significantly expanding its economic contacts in Asia, with New Delhi at the centre of this approach because of the “increasingly challenging behaviour of India’s big neighbour in the North East” among other factors.

“I can say that my government fully supports Germany’s commitment to work with an Indian dockyard to build high-tech submarines in India.”

The Indian Navy’s Project-75 India aims to construct six larger conventional submarines using air independent propulsion technology. With MDL and Larsen and Toubro, respectively, the German company Thyssenkrupp and the Spanish company Navantia are collaborating on this project, which is anticipated to be valued at more than six billion euros.

The recent incident with the German Foreign Office’s comments regarding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, to which India fiercely opposed as meddling in its domestic affairs, was not addressed by the German ambassador.

“Because Germany’s shift towards India and the Indo-Pacific is manifesting itself in very concrete actions: military visits and joint exercises, potential co-production of…” Ackerman responded when asked why India can rely on Germany as its strategic partner.

He announced that Germany would lead a European team alongside France and Spain for an exercise close to Coimbatore and send fighters, including the Eurofighter Typhoons, and transport aircraft, the A400M, to India.

In order to take part in Tarang Shakti’s initial phase, we collaborate with the Indian Air Force. Germany is deploying its Air Force to India for the first time to take part in an exercise of this magnitude. He listed the specifics of the impending military engagement with the Indian military. “In October, two German ships, one frigate and one support ship, will come to Goa to show their presence and train alongside our close partners and friends from the Indian Navy,” he stated.

The German ambassador in India

Speaking about the revised German foreign policy and stance towards India, Ackerman stated that Berlin is even more committed to strengthening defence relations and establishing a significant and long-term strategic alliance with India.

“For this reason, we work to strengthen European and German ties with our Indo-Pacific allies. One of the most significant instances of this change is our partnership with India in this area. The German government did open its defence export policy. We want to provide choices to the Indian government, therefore we’re interested in seeing India broaden its military cooperation with our allies in the United States and Europe,” he stated.

Regarding India’s place in its 2020 Indo-Pacific plan, the German Ambassador

Germany is aggressively broadening its trade relations in Asia in response to Russia’s aggressive war and the more assertive actions of India’s large neighbour in the northeast. Leading the way in this commercial approach is India. This explains also the great interest that German businesses, both large and small, have shown in making investments in India! This is one of the reasons New Delhi will host the 18th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business in October of this year,” he stated.

Regarding Project 75 India, Ackerman stated that the recent visit to Berlin by Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane demonstrates the persistence of high-level discussions between our two democracies to enhance defence cooperation.

Germany is prepared to provide India with aircraft, torpedoes, and tank power packs—with a significant amount of production being done locally in India. India is our main security partner in the region, therefore we are delivering more and faster. Germany has also accelerated its export licence procedures. He stated, “Together, we have already invested a great deal in this region’s freedom and we are committed to strengthening that much more.”

Oliver Burkhard, the CEO of Thyssenkrupp, a German company, stated that “we just underlined the technical possibilities together with a delegation from the Indian and German Navies” and that “TKMS is the only firm with a proven AIP system.”

enquired about the anticipated work split for the P-75 India between

“We stated in the letter of intent that, should we be granted the contract, we would be in charge of the submarines’ design in addition to providing advice. The subs’ transport and building would be handled by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders,” he stated.

“We are involving our important sub-suppliers in the indigenization process, such as our own subsidiaries ‘KTA’ and ATLAS ELEKTRONIK. Both firms have many years of experience, knowledge, and skill. The first boat’s indigenization % is already included in the plan that MDL submitted to the government, which is substantially greater than the required amount,” he stated.

the Indian MDL and TKMS, which