Hyderabad: An empowered panel of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has rejected a bid made by Adani Defence joint venture (JV), a joint venture between Adani Defence and Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL).
It is to make six conventional powered submarines under Indian Navy’s Rs 45,000 crore P-75i submarine project, a top government source told ETV Bharat.
The source, however, declined to give a date as to when the MoD panel took the decision: “It is difficult to say as to when the decision was taken as such meetings of the empowered MoD panel take place as and when required.”
On Tuesday, the MoD’s apex procurement panel, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), in its first meeting of 2020, had given its stamp of approval to the short-listing of Indian Strategic Partners (SP) and the potential Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that would collaborate with SPs to construct six conventional submarines in India under P75i.
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Last Wednesday (January 15), the Congress in a promptly convened press conference had alleged that the government was trying to shortlist Adani Defence JV to be considered for award of the P75i contract.
Pointing out that the Indian Navy’s Empowered Committee had already rejected the Adani Defence JV bid, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had stated: “Adani Defence has ‘zero experience’ of making ships or submarines.
It seeks to manufacture submarines based on a clause wherein its experience of setting up and running a power plant is counted”.
In the present situation, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL), the only shipyard in the country to build a submarine, seems to be the frontrunner to bag the contract.
In response to the April 2019 ‘Request for Expression of Interest’ issued by the MoD for P-75i under Strategic Partnership Model, five responses were received—MDSL, L&T, Reliance Naval & Engineering Limited, Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) and the last one a joint venture between Adani Defence and HSL.
The Indian Navy’s Empowered Committee headed by the Navy’s Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition had already shortlisted two MDSL and L&T after examination of manufacturing facilities, financial records and other criteria.
MDSL is a state-owned defence public sector undertaking shipyard under the Department of Defence Production, MoD, that makes, repairs and refits warships and submarines for use by the Indian Navy and other vessels for commercial clients.
(Article by Sanjib Kr Baruah, Senior Journalist)
