VOI World/ Desk
India and the United Kingdom are set to sign an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to jointly develop maritime electric propulsion systems for the Indian Navy, marking a significant step in defence technology cooperation between the two countries.
The proposed agreement will focus initially on developing an Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) system for four Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) planned for the Indian Navy. The technology is expected to support the next generation of larger Indian warships, particularly vessels with a displacement of more than 6,000 tonnes.
As part of the collaboration, GE Vernova and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) are expected to establish India’s first maritime Land-Based Testing Facility, which will support the development and testing of the electric propulsion system. Indian warships currently rely on diesel engines, gas turbines or steam turbines, making the proposed programme a major technological shift for the Navy.
The partnership builds on a Statement of Intent signed by the Indian and UK defence ministries in Portsmouth in November 2024. That agreement created a framework for the co-design, co-creation and co-production of electric propulsion capabilities for future Indian naval vessels.
The two countries had also expressed their intent to finalise an agreement on maritime electric propulsion during the India-UK summit in October 2025, as part of wider defence and security cooperation under the India-UK strategic partnership.
British officials have said the IGA is expected to be signed “very shortly”. A separate India-UK agreement on the procurement of British Lightweight Multirole Missiles for the Indian Army is also under discussion.
