All six submarines under this project will be built in India by the selected Indian Strategic Partner.

In a major push towards 'Make in India' initiative, the government on Thursday issued Expression of Interest (EoI) for shortlisting of potential Indian Strategic Partners for construction of six conventional submarines for P-75(I) project of the Navy worth Rs 45,000 crore.

According to a Defence Ministry statement, the case was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council on January 31 this year.

The EoI for shortlisting of Indian Strategic Partners has been uploaded on Defence Ministry and Indian Navy websites and that for the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will be issued in two weeks.

This is the second project undertaken under the latest Strategic Partnership model, with the first being the procurement of 111 Naval Utility Helicopters, a Defence Ministry statement said.

This would provide a major boost to the indigenous design and construction capability of submarines in India, in addition to bringing in the latest submarine design and technologies as part of the project.

The Strategic Partners, in collaboration with OEMs, have been mandated to set up dedicated manufacturing lines for these submarines in India and make India the global hub for submarine design and production.

All six submarines under this project will be built in India by the selected Indian Strategic Partner in collaboration with the selected OEM.

Moreover, the Indian Navy would have the option to manufacture six more submarines under the project, which would not only aid in boosting the core submarine and ship building industry but also greatly enhance manufacturing and industrial sector, especially the MSMEs by development of an industrial eco-system for manufacture of associated system equipment related to submarines.

The potential Strategic Partners are expected to respond to the EoI within two months.

The Indian companies would be shortlisted based on their capability for integration of system of systems, expertise in shipbuilding domain and the financial strength.

The OEMs would be shortlisted primarily based on their submarine design meeting the Navy's qualitative requirements and qualifying the transfer of technology and Indigenous Content criteria, the statement added.