New Delhi: India is set to spend nearly $2 billion to lease a nuclear-powered attack submarine from Russia, according to people familiar with the development. The agreement comes after close to ten years of intermittent negotiations, which had been delayed largely due to pricing issues. Officials from both nations have now settled the terms, with an Indian delegation visiting a Russian shipyard in November to move the process forward. The submarine is expected to join the Indian Navy within the next two years, though the timeline could stretch given the project’s technical complexity. The finalisation of the deal coincides with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s scheduled visit to New Delhi this week — his first trip to India since Moscow launched its full-scale offensive in Ukraine. During the visit, he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reaffirming the long-standing defence and energy cooperation between the two countries. Modi has recently worked to strengthen ties with both Russia and China, emphasising India’s independent strategic course after former US President Donald Trump imposed steep 50% tariffs on Indian goods. New Delhi is currently negotiating to bring down those duties, which were part of Washington’s pressure campaign urging India to scale back Russian oil imports.
Ahead of Putin’s arrival, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi hinted that the commissioning of the leased submarine would take place soon, though he offered no specifics. The vessel is expected to be larger than the two nuclear-powered submarines already in India’s naval fleet. Requests for additional information sent to India’s external affairs and defence ministries went unanswered, as did queries to Russia’s foreign and defence ministries and arms exporter Rosoboronexport. According to a report by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, India has already developed submarine-launched ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, theoretically completing the nuclear triad of land-, air- and sea-based delivery systems. Nuclear-powered submarines offer significant advantages over diesel-electric versions — including greater size, the ability to remain submerged for extended periods, and reduced detectability, especially in the expansive waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. India currently operates 17 diesel-powered submarines, NTI noted. Its nuclear-powered strategic submarines are domestically developed to carry SLBMs, and the country is also working toward building its own nuclear-powered attack submarines intended for anti-ship and anti-submarine operations.