Thanks to /Kjell, who on May 1, 2022 pointed out, that France’s Naval Group has removed itself from India's Project 75I for 6 future SSKs with already “sea proven” AIP.
France, Russia and Spain simply lack the sea proven 2nd or 3rd generation AIP that India requires. Germany's TKMS (which does have sea proven AIP) withdrew from the competition in 2021 citing concerns over financial liability and insufficient program funding, it said it would return if the tender terms were revised. Earlier, in 2019, Sweden's SAAB, with long proven AIP, also withdrew over financial liability requirements set by India.
Sources include:
https://twitter.com/livefist/status/1520272506715660288?cxt=HHwWgICjycjyi5kqAAAA
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/submarine-tech-that-india-wants-aip-technology-7900043/
and especially https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project-75_(India)_submarine#Foreign_contenders
The problems with Project 75I has been covered frequently by Submarine Matters including on February 17, 2022. (see "India's 75I Aim to Get Submarine AIP remains in Limbo").
South Korea’s DSME, with its working fuel cell AIP, appears to be the only contender left. Whether TKMS might block DSME from providing originally German invented AIP, remains to be seen. DSME is reportedly offering the 3,000 tonne variant of the KSS-III aka DSME-3000. As well as AIP the KSS-III Batch I or II would bring an additional VLS capability for firing 6 to 10 ballistic missiles.
If DSME is the only contender left then sales pricing may be an obvious problem to haggle over for some years yet.
Alternatively, might India change the rules, at this late stage, to encourage SAAB and TKMS to return?