Abhay Kumar Singh replies: Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean has been growing steadily since 2009 when PLAN’s (People's Liberation Army Navy) flotilla joined the international effort to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Since then, the protection of its maritime interests including maritime trade has been cited as justification for the permanent presence of PLAN in the Indian Ocean and its logistics support base in Djibouti.

Abhay K. Singh replies: At the outset, it is pertinent to highlight that the acquisition of P-75(I) submarines is not being planned through import. The P-75(I) submarines will be indigenously constructed through the strategic partnership model (SPM) of procurement, which aims to revitalise the defence industrial ecosystem and progressively build indigenous capabilities in the private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex weapon systems for the future needs of armed forces.