India plans construction of two nuclear-powered attack submarines

India approved plans on Wednesday to construct two new nuclear-powered attack submarines as part of a larger project aimed at bolstering its naval capabilities amid rising concerns about China’s presence in the Indian Ocean. Two defense officials, speaking anonymously, stated that the estimated cost for the project is around 450 billion rupees . Indian Navy plan to build these submarines as part of a new class of six.

This move comes as an effort to modernise Indian military while focusing on enhancing naval strength and domestic weapons production. The construction of the first two submarines has already been approved but Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet has not discloseD delivery timelines.

China’s increasing naval power, with a fleet of over 370 ships, has become a major security concern for India, especially since their bilateral relations soured after a deadly 2020 clash along their Himalayan border.

Nuclear-powered submarines, which are faster, quieter, and capable of staying underwater longer than diesel-powered ones, are seen as highly effective naval assets, and only a few nations, including China, the U.S., France, and Russia, produce them.

India, which had previously leased two nuclear-powered attack submarines from Russia, is in talks with Moscow to lease another.

The new submarines will be constructed at India’s shipbuilding center in Visakhapatnam, with construction giant Larsen & Toubro expected to be part of the project.

These vessels will differ from India’s Arihant-class submarines, which are capable of launching nuclear weapons, the second of which was commissioned in August.