Germany's Ambassador to India has said that he is optimistic the two countries will soon formally enter into an agreement regarding the supply of new German-designed submarines to the Indian Navy.
Ambassador Philipp Ackermann told Indian newspaper BW Businessworld earlier this week that the signing of the agreement could take place next month and that he was "very hopeful and confident" about the deal itself.
If approved, the agreement would see German naval shipbuilder TKMS and Mumbai-based counterpart Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) collaborate on the supply of six new diesel-electric submarines based on the Type 214 class.
Examples of the Type 214 are in service with the navies of Greece, Turkey, South Korea, and Portugal. The submarines all have air-independent propulsion systems, torpedo and missile armament, and a maximum diving depth of nearly 400 metres.
MDL has meanwhile been building submarines for the Indian Navy since the late 1980s. The Kalvari-class submarines, which are based on the Scorpene-class boats developed by France's Naval Group, were manufactured by MDL.
Discussions regarding the potential sale took place in January of this year during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's first official visit to India.
