The Great Nicobar Project jeopardizes geo-strategic imperatives, security imperatives and economic revival. Given the expansion of China’s String of Pearls commercial, military and maritime infrastructure across the region, the project is critical to India’s Indian Ocean region and its security architecture. It is imperative for India to safeguard its security interests in the Indian Ocean region.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued environmental clearance for the Great Nicobar project in February 2026, citing strategic, military and economic importance. It has underlined strict compliance with ecological safeguards. The tribunal recognized the importance of the project, given India’s urgent need for maritime capabilities in the Indian Ocean.
The Great Nicobar Project is the overall development of the Great Nicobar Island. It is an infrastructure-intensive project consisting of a transshipment port, an international airport, a township and a power plant at Galathea Bay, located on the south eastern coast of Great Nicobar Island. This is an ambitious project, the cost is low ₹72,000- ₹Rs 81,000 crore has been envisaged by NITI Aayog. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) implements it. It aims to utilize the geo-strategic advantage of the Nicobar Islands and make it an important strategic, economic and defense hub in the Indo-Pacific region. This project will take 30 years to complete. Under this project, maximum attention will be given to four key areas.
The International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) is a deep water port in Galathea Bay. It is expected to handle approximately 14.2–16 million TEU (twenty foot equivalent units) annually. The greenfield international airport will cater to civil and military needs and promote tourism. The 450 MVA (Megavolt-Ampere) hybrid power complex will manage the energy requirements of the island and ensure self-sufficiency. An integrated township is also a part of the project.
The strategic urgency of the Great Nicobar Project is the main reason behind this multi-crore project. Its proximity to the Strait of Malacca increases its importance as a major strategic centre. It is the cornerstone of India’s national security in the Indo-Pacific region. This is a response to the changing geopolitics in the region, especially growing Chinese and American interests. The Strait of Malacca is an important global bottleneck. More than 70% of China’s oil imports and 30% of global trade pass through the strait. The Indian Navy’s proximity to the strait, with its naval base on Great Nicobar Island, helps India monitor traffic in the area and enhances its security posture.
This project is a response to the Chinese String of Pearls. It is China’s strategic framework and a commercial and maritime network from the Horn of Africa to mainland China. This is important for China’s energy imports as it is an energy dependent country. This is China’s great game of power projection in the Indian Ocean region. The string of pearls include Gwadar (Pakistan), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Djibouti (Horn of Africa), Kyaukphyu (Myanmar) and Cocoa Islands (north-eastern Bay of Bengal). Through these strategic ports, China exercises surveillance and displays its subtle military power and naval prowess. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has invested in these infrastructure projects to show its strength. This is India’s strategic encirclement in the Indian Ocean region. The Great Nicobar Project is an immediate strategic response to growing Chinese expansionism in the Indian Ocean region. China’s supply chains and oil imports make it dependent on the Indian Ocean. India needs the Great Nicobar Project to respond to China. Regional dominance and maritime security in the Indian Ocean region requires India to secure its strategic depth and curb Chinese interference. The Great Nicobar Project is India’s counter-strategy to monitor Chinese interference in the region. It will be the gatekeeper of the Strait of Malacca, bringing balance of power and checking Chinese hegemony. The project will facilitate improved coastal radar network to monitor maritime activities. It is also a milestone in enhancing cooperation with the Quad (India, US, Japan, Australia) and working together to ensure a “free and open Indo-Pacific”.
The economic ambition of the Great Nicobar Project is to transform it into a global maritime and logistics super-hub. Upon completion of the project, it will increase India’s shipping revenues. This will end the long standing dependence on foreign ports. This will make India a major player in the transshipment market. India is dependent on foreign ports to transport its goods. About 75% of its cargo is shipped through the ports of Singapore, Colombo and Port Klang. The Galathea Bay port will be a real game changer, saving an estimated $200-$300 million annually. ICTT can generate annual revenue ₹30,000 crore by 2040.
This mega project could create 50,000 high-paying jobs in sectors such as logistics, aviation and energy. It will be the center of the urban economic engine. The 149 sq km greenfield township will transform the region into a place of intense economic and urban activity. The project makes Great Nicobar Island a Special Economic Zone, where a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) may be possible. Greenfield International Airport will enhance global tourism. The blue economy will get the necessary impetus. Marine resources can be transformed into economic activity.
The root of the dispute is ecology. The Great Nicobar Project is ambitious and strategically important, but the ecological damage it will cause raises concerns. The area is a pristine tropical rainforest ecosystem. The concerns are real. But over-activity is inappropriate. Geo-strategic compulsions cannot be ignored. The project will involve deforestation, habitat fragmentation, threats to endangered species (giant leatherback turtle, Nicobar megapode and Nicobar macaque), impacts on coral reefs and mangroves due to dredging and loss of natural barriers, and loss of marine nurseries. The island is vulnerable to seismic hazards. In view of these apprehensions, NTG has maintained strict guidelines for the Great Nicobar Project.
The NTG mandates strict adherence to environmental concerns and the protection of biodiversity and indigenous communities. No erosion or shoreline alteration and no loss of sandy beaches must be strictly maintained. The sandy beaches are important as nesting sites for turtles and birds. Coral conservation and relocation of coral colonies should be strictly followed. It is imperative to open new wildlife sanctuaries to protect leatherback turtles, Nicobar megapodes and corals. Two research stations are to be built at Campbell Bay and Kamorta Island to monitor biodiversity health. Eight dedicated wildlife corridors are to be developed for the movement of animals in developed areas.
NTG recommends strict adherence to the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Independent monitoring committees should be established to assess tribal welfare and prevent interference with tribal habitat due to developmental activities on the island. Development is prohibited in ecologically sensitive areas. Mandatory compliance with the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) Notification, 2019 is mandatory. Pollution standards should be strictly followed. There is no natural water body, and its flow is restricted for developmental activities. Any violation of the above condition will result in legal challenge. A High Powered Committee (HPC) has been constituted to review the project and environment clearance.
The above challenges are real. Strict guidelines are also important. It is equally important to implement the Great Nicobar Project. The strategic imperatives and growing security vulnerabilities in the Indian Ocean region require a strategically advantageous location that will enable India to become a net security provider in the region. India’s trade, cultural, maritime and strategic antiquity in this region was very rich and time-tested. Now is the time to revive the strategic and economic depth of the region for India to emerge as a trustworthy and reliable partner. China’s aggressive policy of strategic encirclement requires appropriate countermeasures. The Great Nicobar Project is a solution to the strategic and security inadequacies. India must develop it to redefine its strategic importance. Environmental concerns are important and should be addressed effectively, not just paperwork. To make this project truly successful, genuine concern must be shown for ecology and ecological fragility.
(Views expressed are personal)
This article is written by Jajati K Patnaik, Chairman, Center for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and Professor Chandan Panda, Central University of Karnataka, Karnataka.
