India’s Project 77 SSNs Missiles: Project 77 is India’s plan for indigenous nuclear-powered attack submarines, or SSNs. Recent reports say the Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the first two boats in October 2024, with a project value of about ₹40,000 crore. The submarines are expected to be built at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam. The plan is also linked to a bigger Navy goal of operating six SSNs in the future, with the first two likely by 2036-37 and the next pair around 2038-39. This programme was earlier known as Project 75 Alpha.
These submarines are being seen as a big step for India’s underwater power. Reports say they will give the Navy more strength in the Indian Ocean and more room to move quietly under water during long missions. The project also fits with India’s wider push to build more defence equipment inside the country, instead of depending too much on foreign suppliers.
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The 24-cell Missile system
One of the biggest reported changes in Project 77 is the 24-cell Vertical Launch System. In very simple words, this means the submarine may be able to carry many missiles at once and fire them in different ways. The reported idea is to let the boat launch several cruise missiles quickly, mix different weapons in the same load, and hit both land and sea targets from a long distance.
Reports link this missile setup with BrahMos-ER, Nirbhay or ITCM cruise missiles, and future hypersonic weapons. The design is also said to be ready for new missile types later, so the submarines do not become old too fast. That is why some defence reports describe Project 77 as more like an underwater strike platform than only a hunter-killer submarine.
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The new SSNs are also expected to be large boats, with reports putting the displacement at around 10,000 tonnes. They may use pump-jet propulsion, low-noise systems, anechoic coatings and better vibration control. The older reporting on Project 77 also says the submarines may use a 190 MW reactor and natural-circulation cooling, which would help reduce noise. All of this is meant to make the submarines harder to detect.
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India is also building new support systems for submarine testing. On April 3, 2026, Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the Large Cavitation Tunnel at NSTL in Visakhapatnam. PIB said this facility will improve naval research, help in propulsion testing, reduce noise and strengthen stealth work for submarines and ships. That fits closely with the needs of Project 77.
The project is important because it can help India keep a stronger underwater presence in the Indian Ocean, make deterrence stronger against China’s growing naval reach, and give the Navy a hidden platform for long-range strikes. The reported use of indigenous missiles, indigenous systems, DRDO work, Indian private companies and Navy support also shows how much the programme is tied to India’s self-reliance drive.
