India–Russia Submarine Deal Controversy: What Really Happened During Putin’s Visit

As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi for a high-profile visit, Indian and international media were flooded with reports claiming that India had signed a fresh USD 2-billion agreement with Russia to lease a nuclear-powered attack submarine. The story suggested a major breakthrough in defence ties and portrayed the deal as newly finalised to strengthen India’s undersea warfare capabilities. However, within hours, the Indian government issued a firm rebuttal, calling the reports “misleading” and clarifying that no new submarine deal had been signed. This contrast between reported claims and official statements created confusion, prompting a closer look into what the alleged deal actually referenced.

India currently operates 17 diesel-electric submarines, which are domestically built. (Representational image) | India Today

Media Claims of a New USD 2-Billion Agreement

Reports first emerged alleging that India and Russia had sealed a new submarine lease in the run-up to Putin’s visit. Several outlets stated that the agreement involved leasing a nuclear-powered attack submarine for ten years, complete with Russian maintenance and training support. These stories framed the development as a strategic enhancement of India’s naval capability at a time when geopolitical competition in the Indian Ocean is intensifying.

The submarine, according to these reports, would not participate in active combat. Instead, it would serve as a platform for training Indian naval crews and strengthening operational proficiency in nuclear-powered submarine handling. Many publications called it India’s second foreign-built nuclear submarine, implying a major defence milestone timed with Putin’s arrival.

Government’s Official Stand: “This Is Not a New Deal”

The Government of India quickly dismissed the media narrative through the Press Information Bureau, which stated unambiguously that no new submarine lease was signed in 2025. The government clarified that the reports were referring to a 2019 agreement signed between India and Russia for leasing an upgraded Akula-class submarine.

This original agreement, valued at over USD 3 billion, had been delayed due to technical, logistical, and geopolitical factors—including sanctions and global supply-chain disruptions. According to the latest official timeline, the submarine’s delivery has been rescheduled to 2028, but the nature of the deal itself remains unchanged. The government emphasised that the resurfacing of the story during Putin’s visit had created false impressions about a new bilateral defence pact.

Background of the 2019 Nuclear-Submarine Lease

The 2019 deal represented a continuation of India’s long-standing strategy to lease Russian nuclear submarines, providing the Navy with deep operational experience while India simultaneously develops its own fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. The leased submarine, often referred to as INS Chakra III, was designed for a non-nuclear-weapons role, carrying conventional missiles and torpedoes. The objective was to strengthen Indian crew training and enhance blue-water capabilities rather than deploy it as a nuclear deterrent.

This approach aligns with India’s multi-decade effort to build an indigenous fleet of nuclear attack submarines (SSNs) and ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs). Leasing remains a temporary but essential arrangement, helping fill capability gaps as India’s domestic submarine programme progresses.

Strategic Context: Why Undersea Capability Matters

The repeated circulation of submarine-related news reflects the growing importance of undersea dominance in the Indian Ocean Region. Nuclear-powered submarines offer significant advantages over diesel-electric platforms, including longer endurance, increased stealth, and deep-sea operational capability. These features allow India to maintain surveillance, deterrence, and rapid-response measures across vast maritime spaces.

Even as India gradually reduces dependency on Russian defence imports—now significantly lower compared to the past—the legacy of cooperation in strategic platforms like submarines continues. The submarine lease programme is one of the few areas where Russia remains not only relevant but essential to India’s long-term maritime strategy.

The MGMM Outlook

The reports surrounding President Vladimir Putin’s India visit created a wave of confusion, largely because many media outlets prematurely framed the submarine story as a brand-new USD 2-billion deal. This reflects a recurring pattern where sensational narratives overshadow factual accuracy. India has always maintained a strategic, long-term approach to defence modernisation, especially in the maritime domain, and the sudden claims of a newly signed nuclear-submarine lease misrepresented the government’s actual position. The truth, as officially clarified, is that no new agreement was signed during this visit; the stories merely resurfaced details of the 2019 Akula-class submarine lease—an old agreement whose timelines have shifted but whose core terms remain unchanged.

At the same time, the episode highlights how sensitive defence issues are often misunderstood without proper historical context. India’s submarine strategy has been consistent: lease from Russia to train crews and strengthen undersea expertise while simultaneously constructing its indigenous nuclear-powered fleet. From this lens, the real narrative is not about a new deal, but about India silently but steadily advancing toward self-reliance in advanced naval capability. Russia’s role remains relevant in legacy platforms, yet India’s broader trajectory is one of reducing dependency and accelerating domestic production—an evolution that deserves more attention than sensational headlines.

(Sources: India Today, Business Today, Moneycontrol)