Discussions on getting the electric propulsion technology from the United Kingdom to meet the future needs of Indian warships are learnt to have seen a significant forward movement during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s two-day visit to the country this week. As per sources in the government, discussions on getting this key technology from the UK are learnt to have featured at multiple levels during Singh’s meeting with the UK’s Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, Foreign Minister Lord David Cameron and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday. They said one of the possibilities being explored is a government-to-government agreement on getting this technology from the UK that will power bigger warships of the Indian Navy. Indian warships at present do not have electric propulsion systems. They are currently powered by diesel engines, gas or steam turbines. The Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers of the UK Royal Navy are integrated full electric propulsion vessels. Both countries have set up a joint electronic propulsion working group that met in the UK in February and a delegation met again on Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster when she made port call at Kochi in March last year. The joint working group on India-UK electric propulsion capability partnership met again in November last year to discuss helping India develop maritime electric propulsion technology for its future warships. Sources said this possibility was further discussed during the Defence Minister’s visit to the UK. If discussions go ahead, the UK will have to send a formal proposal to India on the agreement between the two for developing the electric propulsion system, since it will involve other aspects like training, equipment and infrastructure.Top sources in the government told The Indian Express that this technology will apply to bigger Indian warships with a displacement of over 6,000 tonnes and thus will be first tested on Landing Platform Docks and next generation destroyers. In April last year, UK’s Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin had said India and the UK are having detailed discussions over sharing technical know-how and experience on maritime electric propulsion systems to meet future requirements of Indian warships. Senior government officials told The Indian Express that the focus of the Defence Minister’s two-day visit to the UK was defence technology. His discussions with the UK government at multiple levels highlighted a three-pronged strategy to take the India-UK relations forward, including defence, trade and technology. In his meeting with Sunak, Singh had highlighted the recent enhancement in bilateral defence engagements, including joint exercises, training, capability building, increased interoperability, military-to-military ties especially in the maritime domain as well as the efforts to enhance defence industrial cooperation, including in the technology domain. He had also spoken about his positive interactions with the UK defence industry and the new positive energy in the bilateral defence relationship. In a statement, the Defence Ministry said Sunak had expressed hope that the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations could be brought to a successful conclusion soon, while underlining the UK’s keenness to strengthen the defence and security pillars of bilateral relationship, including through government backing for stronger business and technology partnerships with Indian counterpart entities. During his meeting with the British foreign secretary, there were discussions on the UK government’s desire to collaborate with India in the defence areas.
