India is reportedly moving away from plans to lease an additional Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) from Russia, signalling a significant strategic shift in the Indian Navy’s long-term underwater warfare roadmap. Sources within the defence establishment indicate that persistent delays in the delivery of the already contracted INS Chakra III have forced planners to reassess the value of extending the leasing arrangement with Moscow.
In 2019, India and Russia signed a deal estimated at around USD 3 billion to lease an Akula-class SSN, which would be commissioned as INS Chakra III. The submarine—widely believed to be an Akula-II class vessel, either Bratsk or Samara—was initially scheduled for delivery by 2025. However, repeated delays linked to refurbishment challenges and capacity constraints in Russian shipyards have steadily pushed the timeline to the right.
According to Russian authorities, the revised delivery date has now slipped to 2028. This three-year delay has significantly eroded the operational window the submarine was meant to fill. INS Chakra III was conceived as a critical stop-gap, intended to bridge the capability void created after the return of INS Chakra II (the Nerpa) to Russia in 2021, and to ensure Indian crews retained hands-on experience in operating nuclear-powered submarines until indigenous platforms became available.
Against this backdrop, Russia had reportedly floated the idea of leasing a second Akula-class submarine to operate alongside Chakra III. But Indian defence planners have now concluded that the timelines no longer align with strategic realities. Officials assess that even if a contract for the additional submarine were signed around 2026, the vessel would likely not be delivered before 2033 due to the extensive refit work required on mothballed Russian hulls.
Such a delivery date would coincide awkwardly with India’s own indigenous SSN programme. The Indian Navy expects sea trials of its first domestically built SSN to begin around 2034. Introducing a leased foreign submarine just one or two years before the induction of a home-grown class would create substantial logistical, training and maintenance complexities, while offering limited long-term operational benefit.
The shift also reflects growing confidence in India’s indigenous nuclear submarine plans. The Ministry of Defence has already sanctioned the construction of two SSNs under the highly classified Project-77. The design phase is reportedly nearing completion, with physical construction expected to commence within the next two to three years at a newly built, high-capacity dry dock facility in Cochin.
Under the current roadmap, construction is expected to begin around 2028–2029, followed by sea trials starting approximately in 2034. Induction into the Indian Navy is projected for 2036–2037. This timeline underscores an accelerated push under the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiative to achieve self-reliance in one of the most complex and sensitive domains of defence technology.
Despite stepping back from a second lease, the Indian Navy remains acutely aware of the challenge of maintaining nuclear submarine crew proficiency. Operating a nuclear reactor at sea involves highly specialised skills that cannot be allowed to lapse. To address this, the Navy plans to maximise the utility of INS Chakra III once it finally arrives.
Rather than deploying the submarine primarily as a front-line patrol asset, Chakra III is expected to function largely as a training platform at sea. Multiple crews will be rotated through the vessel in parallel, ensuring a broad base of officers and sailors gain real-world experience in nuclear submarine operations.
This approach is intended to ensure that when the first Project-77 SSN enters service in the mid-2030s, India will have a ready pool of trained personnel capable of immediately operating the new class. By consolidating resources around the indigenous programme and optimising the role of a single leased submarine, India appears determined to transition decisively from a buyer’s navy to a builder’s navy in the realm of nuclear underwater warfare.
