German and Indian companies are nearing a deal to build submarines in India, ET Now reported on Tuesday, at a time when the German defence minister is on a visit to New Delhi.

India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius met on Tuesday.

"India’s skilled workforce & competitive costs along with Germany’s high technologies & investment can further strengthen ties," Singh said in a

statement without referring to submarines. (Reporting by Tanvi Mehta; Editing by Krishna N. Das)