BDL-WASS Deal Boosts India's Defense Manufacturing Push

Defense manufacturing in India is gaining momentum as Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) partners with Italian defense company WASS for torpedo production, while targeting Rs 15,000 crore in fresh orders in FY27.

The collaboration marks another step towards strengthening domestic capabilities in advanced underwater weapons.

It also comes amid growing efforts to localize critical defense technologies through international partnerships.

BDL's broader manufacturing strategy, alongside emerging collaborations involving other Indian companies, points to an expanding industrial ecosystem for naval weapons.

The development raises an important question: can these partnerships help India reduce its dependence on imported underwater defense systems?

Key Highlights

• BDL's WASS collaboration adds to India's efforts to expand domestic heavyweight torpedo manufacturing.
• BDL is targeting Rs 15,000 crore in fresh orders during FY27, including major defense programs.
• German defense company TKMS has also partnered with Hyderabad-based VEM Technologies for heavyweight torpedo production.
• BDL has already productionized an indigenous wire-guided heavyweight torpedo developed with DRDO's NSTL.

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India's torpedo manufacturing ecosystem expands

The BDL-WASS partnership comes as India explores multiple international collaborations to strengthen its underwater weapons capabilities.

The WASS collaboration also comes against the backdrop of India's Rs 1,896 crore contract with the Italian company for 48 Black Shark Advanced heavyweight torpedoes for six Kalvari-class submarines.

The contract covers torpedoes, associated equipment, maintenance equipment, and spare parts, with deliveries scheduled between April 2028 and early 2030.

German naval defense company TKMS signed a teaming agreement with Hyderabad-based VEM Technologies in March 2026 for technology transfer and joint heavyweight torpedo production.

Michael Ozegowski, Executive Vice President of TKMS' ATLAS ELEKTRONIK segment, said the technology transfer would enable VEM to contribute to India's technological independence and the Indian Navy's capabilities.

These partnerships create opportunities for Indian manufacturers to develop capabilities in production, integration, testing, and specialized defense components.

BDL strengthens indigenous production capabilities

BDL has already taken steps towards expanding its domestic underwater weapons manufacturing capabilities.

In April 2026, the company delivered India's first production-grade indigenous Wire-Guided Heavyweight Torpedo (WGHWT) to DRDO's Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) at its Visakhapatnam unit.

The development demonstrated the company's ability to work with domestic research institutions to produce advanced naval weapons. The Ministry of Defense has also signed a Rs 1,543 crore contract with BDL for indigenous Varunastra heavyweight torpedoes for the Indian Navy.

The parallel partnerships involving BDL-WASS and VEM-TKMS could broaden India's industrial base for underwater weapons. BDL's Rs 15,000 crore fresh-order target for FY27 further highlights the scale of opportunities emerging in India's defense sector.