New Delhi, Jan 21 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh-headed Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Tuesday accorded approval to only two Indian companies --- Mazagon Docks Ltd (MDL) and Larsen and Turbo (L&T) and rejected Gujarat-based Adani Group and state-run Hindustan Shipyard Limited's joint venture bid to participate in a Rs 45,000 crore submarine project -- referred to as Project 75I.
The joint venture bid of both the vendors to build six new diesel-electric submarines was rejected on technical grounds, a defence source said.
Last week, the Congress had accused the government was trying to favour the Adani Group.
As per the sources in the defence ministry, Mumbai-based MDL and L&T have been approved as the Indian strategic partners (SP) and will now compete to be chosen for constructing submarines in India.
The five foreign vendors which are in race include, Russian’s Rosoboronexport, Naval Group of France, Daewoo (South Korea), ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (Germany) and Navantia (Spain).
As per the Narendra Modi government's SP initiative, they would have to join hands with one of the Indian companies to make these submarines in India.
This was the first meeting of the DAC in 2020 and the first after the appointment of the first ever Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat.
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