India is expected to launch a locally built nuclear- powered submarine this month, making it one of only a handful of countries to produce such a vessel.
Manmohan Singh, India's prime minister, is to visit the Visakhapatnam naval base in Andhra Pradesh on July 26 to inspect the submarine before it is launched for sea trials, senior government officials told the Financial Times.
The deployment of a nuclear-powered submarine would be a big step for the Indian navy, which is anxious to maintain its authority in the shipping lanes of the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. The submarine could allow New Delhi to develop a nuclear strike capability from the sea.