The Defence Ministry has rejected Larsen and Toubro’s (L&T) bid in the Rs 70,000 crore tender to acquire six submarines for the Indian Navy.
The bid was found non-compliant with the Indian Navy’s requirements. The proposal, in partnership with Spanish Navantia, showcased an Air Independent Propulsion system in Spain, but the Indian Navy demanded a sea-proven system.
This leaves Mazagaon Dockyards Limited and its partner ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems of Germany as the only vendors in the race. The Indian government is pushing to modernize its submarine fleet to counter the growing capabilities of the Chinese Navy.
