Agreement will support development of integrated full-electric propulsion systems for Landing Platform Docks, while a separate deal is expected for British missiles
India and the United Kingdom are set to sign an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) to jointly develop maritime electric propulsion systems for four Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) planned for the Indian Navy, British officials said on Wednesday.
The agreement, expected to be concluded shortly, will focus on Integrated Full Electric Propulsion (IFEP) technology for the large warships. The four LPDs are planned to be built at an Indian shipyard, marking a significant step towards introducing full-electric propulsion on Indian naval platforms.
As part of the cooperation, GE Vernova and Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) will establish India’s first land-based testing facility for maritime propulsion. The facility is intended to support the development and testing of the IFEP system before it is deployed on operational ships.
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Indian warships currently rely mainly on diesel engines, gas turbines or steam turbines
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Electric propulsion is being pursued for larger vessels, particularly those weighing more than 6,000 tonnes
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The technology is already used on the UK Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers
The latest agreement follows a Statement of Intent signed by India and the UK in Portsmouth in November 2024. The framework envisaged cooperation in the co-design, co-creation and co-production of electric propulsion capabilities for future Indian naval vessels, including LPDs.
The two countries have also been discussing the possible retrofitting of selected older Indian Navy ships with electric propulsion as part of a wider fleet modernisation effort.
Separately, India and the UK are expected to conclude another government-to-government agreement covering the procurement of British Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs) for the Indian Army. British officials said the order could involve several hundred missiles, building on a £350 million contract signed in October 2025.
