New Delhi: The Spanish shipbuilding giant Navantia which is now closely involved in the construction of submarines for the Indian Navy has been playing a key role in the government’s focus on self-reliance in defence or Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Participating in a documentary programme on ET Now focusing on Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence and aired on April 9 and April 10, Fernando Formoso, Director, India, Navantia said “ in the case of ongoing programmes of ship acquisition in India like P-75 submarine, Navantia has a clear view of the target of ‘Make in India’ philosophy which is self-reliance in defence sector and Navantia is bringing its consolidated expertise in international transfer of technology programmes.”
The Spanish company is also working closely with the Indian industry to involve India’s suppliers from the early stages of the programme, Formoso said. Elaborating further, he said “by doing so, the equipment that is already present in the Indian Navy’s supply chain will also be present on its ships. This will help consolidate the local industries and reduce the Indian Navy’s life support costs.”
The Spanish company which has been working with the Spanish Navy for over 300 years is a world reference in the design, construction and integration of warships as well as ship repairs and modernization.
As the company’s International Commercial Director, Jorge Garcia-Monedero said “Navantia has been a proud member of the Scorpene consortium and together developed the Kalvari class submarine programme and we have also participated in many tender programmes of the Indian Navy. I would like to recall our role in the Landing Platform Dock (LPD) as a great example of cooperation with the Indian industry.”
The company which is a 100 per cent Spanish government industrial holding, has been a force to reckon with when it comes to designing and building a state of the art warships, as well as in the integration of complex systems. It is also engaged in maintenance and modernization of existing warships.
Taking the narrative forward, Garcia-Monedero said that “for the new P-75 India submarine programme, Navantia is offering a derivative design from the S-80 programme which is a very capable platform. The requirements released by the Indian Navy are highly demanding and bringing some adaptation challenges to it but we are very confident to reach an outstanding solution that will meet the Indian Navy’s requirement.”
The company is focused on “Make in India” philosophy and is streamlining the process to support the existing supply chain in the Indian Navy. With the company’s USP being design and manufacture of world class ships and submarines, it would help India’s prowess on the Ocean. With Navantia’s capability in the maritime sector and support to the Indian Navy, the story is changing the face of the country’s naval defence.
