NEW DELHI, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- India has embarked on an ambitious project to build six nuclear-powered attack submarines to boost its Navy's overall strike capabilities.

"It has kicked off. It is a classified project. The process has started," Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba told the media in the national capital on Friday.

India currently has two nuclear powered submarines -- the INS Chakra leased from Russia and the home-made INS Arihant. The latter has the capability to fire nuclear-tipped missiles.

Apart from the nuclear-powered submarines, the Indian Navy has 13 conventionally powered attack submarines, one aircraft carrier, 11 destroyers, 14 frigates, and 24 corvettes etc.