The company’s top executive has emphasised that combining India’s manufacturing expertise with Fincantieri’s technological strengths could yield competitive solutions for both regional and global markets.
Fincantieri already has a footprint in India, having secured a ₹2,000 crore contract last year through its subsidiary WASS for the supply of heavyweight torpedoes.
The company regards India as a natural partner for long-term industrial and technological cooperation, with ambitions to expand into next-generation vessels and maritime solutions over the coming decade.
Pierroberto Folgiero, Fincantieri’s CEO and Managing Director, highlighted that cooperation in India is expected to evolve in high-value technological domains.
These include complex platform design, combat system integration, advanced propulsion, digital ship management, and the underwater domain. He also noted the potential to establish an engineering hub in India, leveraging the country’s scale of engineering talent, sophisticated manufacturing base, and rapidly advancing supply chain.
Folgiero described India as a priority for Fincantieri, stressing that the partnership is entering a new phase of strategic maritime collaboration. He pointed to India’s growing capabilities in engineering and manufacturing as key factors in shaping future cooperation.
Among the opportunities under discussion is collaboration on India’s upcoming plan to acquire large Landing Platform Dock (LPD) warships. Fincantieri has recent experience in this domain, having built the “Trieste” for the Italian Navy, which is the latest LPD to be commissioned globally.
The Indian Navy has already signed a contract with WASS for Black Shark Advanced (BSA) torpedoes, which will be integrated onto the Kalvari class submarines.
While the first batch has been acquired under the “Buy Global” procedure, WASS is working on additional batches to be procured under the “Make in India” framework. This would involve localisation, industrial partnerships, and transfer of technology, aligning with India’s self-reliance goals.
Fincantieri has been engaging with several Indian companies to explore collaboration for the local production of the Black Shark Advanced torpedoes.
This could include manufacturing high-technology components and transferring the torpedo assembly line to India, further embedding advanced naval weapon systems within the country’s defence industrial base.
ET News
