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Submarine India flagIndia

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited

Kalvari class

Diesel-electric attack submarines built by Mazagon Dock under French Naval Group technology transfer, based on the Scorpene design, giving the Indian Navy a modern, low-signature conventional submarine with air-independent propulsion planned for later units.

In service since 2017 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

20

kn

6,500

nmi

1,565

t

43

crew

💲 ≈ $500,000,000 — Approximate per-unit build cost

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to India export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 2017. Status: active · ~6 built.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

$1.3B – $1.8B

Acquisition is only ~30% of lifecycle cost — operating & support dominate over ~30 yrs. Rough 2.5–3.5× the unit price.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Torpedo tubes

Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).

6
Stronger than 53% of submarines

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Length

Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.

67.5 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Displacement

Standard displacement in tonnes — the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.

1,565 t
Submerged speed

Maximum speed while submerged (submarines). Higher is faster underwater.

20 kn
Stronger than 29% of submarines
Range

Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.

6,500 nmi
Stronger than 17% of submarines
Complement

Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.

43
Propulsion plant

Machinery type — nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.

Diesel-electric

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Unit cost

Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.

$500,000,000
Stronger than 78% of submarines
Units built

Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.

6
Stronger than 55% of submarines
Operator countries

Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.

1
Stronger than 39% of submarines

Specifications compiled from public Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class used for? +

The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class is a submarine typically used for anti ship, isr.

How many countries operate the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class? +

The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class is operated by 1 countries.

How much does the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class cost? +

The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Kalvari class has an approximate unit cost of 500,000,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.

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