Navantia is reportedly exploring the idea of establishing India as a secondary manufacturing hub for its submarines to cater to prospective clients in Asia, including Indonesia and Vietnam. These countries are said to be interested in acquiring smaller submarines with a displacement of around 1,500 tonnes, in contrast to Navantia's larger S80-class submarines, which weigh approximately 3,000 tonnes.

The plan is currently in an exploratory phase and may proceed independently of India's Project 75I submarine program. According to sources, they would need to establish a new company dedicated to Asia to facilitate production outside Spain. The Spanish shipyard is in discussions with Larsen & Toubro (L&T), which has extensive experience in India's strategic submarine program, regarding this potential collaboration.

If realized, this initiative could not only strengthen Navantia’s footprint in Asia but also position India as a regional submarine production hub, enabling them to meet the demand for smaller, versatile submarines in emerging markets.

Spanish shipyard Navantia has successfully installed its Hydrogen-based Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system into its third S80-class submarine, enabling the vessel to remain submerged for nearly 21 consecutive days. This advanced system, integrated after extensive testing of over 50,000 hours, significantly enhances the submarine's stealth capabilities. The installation comes shortly after the Indian Navy conducted field evaluation trials (FET) of the system.