NEW DELHI, Oct 6: India and France on Thursday signed a deal in New Delhi for the purchase of six Franco-Spanish Scorpene submarines and pledged total transparency in the 2.4-billion-euro (three-billion-dollar) contract.

The contract, which France had been lobbying hard to win, calls for the diesel-powered vessels to be assembled in India’s financial city of Mumbai as part of a technology transfer arrangement.

“According to the agreement, India will build the Scorpene submarines at the state-owned Mazagaon docks in Mumbai under transfer of technology from France,” an Indian defence ministry statement said.

“The first submarine will be ready for induction ... within seven years of signing of the contract. The remaining five will be delivered at intervals of one year each thereafter.”

India also signed a separate contract with the French arm of the European MBDA weapons firm to arm the Scorpenes with missiles once the vessels are at sea.

Indian government sources told AFP they would be Exocet missiles which can be tipped with nuclear warheads.

The 65-metre long submarines are designed for coastal defence, with modern detection equipment, six torpedo tubes and missile launchers.

They are able to stay at sea for up to 45 days with a crew of 31, and can dive to a depth of 300 metres.

The main contract was signed at the Indian defence ministry by representatives of Mazagaon docks and firms involved in the deal, including Aramis, which is 50 per cent owned by French state shipbuilder Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN) and defence and engineering giant Thales.

A total of five agreements were signed including one to ensure “avoidance of all forms of corruption by ensuring free, fair, transparent and unprejudiced dealings prior to, during and subsequent to the currency of the contract.”

France’s ambassador to India, Dominique Girard, who inked the technology transfer accord, called the deal a “new leap in our relationship” but did not comment on the integrity pact.—AFP