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Indian shipyards will have to be modernised to enable them to build the 26 new submarines in next 30 years, as planned by the government, a defence weekly has reported.
The country's only shipyard capable of building submarines - the Mazagon Dock Ltd in Bombay - has been idle for nine years and will require an injection of $50 million to make it operational, the Defence News weekly reported.
India and France struck a deal in June to build French Scorpene-class submarines at MDL, the weekly said.
But the MDL yard is currently fitted only to build German-designed HDW-class submarines, it added.
The weekly quoted an MDL source as saying that even if funds are disbursed in the next six months, it will take at least three years to refurbish the yard, and another five to complete the first submarine.
The first MDL-built Scorpene-class submarine would cost not less than $300 million, the weekly said quoting Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Sudesh Bangara.
India currently has 14 operational submarines - 10 Russian Kilo-class and four German HDW, the weekly said.
Two of India's four HDW submarines were built at MDL. But in January, Indian Navy dropped the construction of two more HDW-class subs as they cannot carry cruise missiles.
Unlike Pakistan's French-built Agosta-class submarines, only one of the Indian Kilo-class subs is fitted with missiles while another is being modified in Russia.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is reported to be negotiating with the Russians to build Amur-class submarines, the weekly said.
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