Article Posted on : - Mar 01, 2012

NEW DELHI (PTI): French firm DCNS has supplied the first lot of India-made equipment to defence shipyard Mazagon Dockyards Limited (MDL) for fixing it on the six Scorpene submarines being constructed for the Navy at Mumbai.

The defence shipyard is building six such submarines under a project worth over Rs 23,000 crore with transfer of technology from DCNS.

"The delivery of equipment manufactured by an Indian company and managed by DCNS India, was achieved on time, meeting all the stringent quality standards required for on-board use on a submarine," DCNS India said in a statement.

The equipment was manufactured by Indian firm Flash Forge India Pvt Ltd based out of Vishakhapatnam.

"MDL has congratulated this successful industrial performance during the recently held Government to Government meeting between India and France," it said.

In 2005, India had signed a deal with France for constructing six Scorpene submarines under the Project 75.

"We are providing know-how and technical assistance to Indian partners to manufacture equipments for Scorpenes. With MDL, we are qualifying suitable companies which are meeting the specifications needed for the submarines," said Bernard Buisson, Managing Director of DCNS India.

Due to delays in procurement of MDL-purchased items, the delivery schedule of the Scorpenes has been adversely affected and the first of it is commissioned only in 2015.