E-Paper
Great Nicobar Project: India’s doctrine of strategic depth in the Indian Ocean
This article is authored by Jajati K Pattnaik and Chandan Panda.
The Great Nicobar Project criss-crosses geostrategic imperative, security compulsion and economic revitalisation. The project is crucial to India's Indian Ocean region and its security architecture, given China's expanding String of Pearls commercial, military, and maritime infrastructure across the region. It is imperative for India to secure its security interests in the Indian Ocean region.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued environmental clearances for the Great Nicobar Project in February 2026, citing its strategic, military, and economic importance. It has underlined strict compliance with ecological safeguards. The tribunal recognised the project's importance, given India's urgent need for maritime capabilities in the Indian Ocean.
The Great Nicobar Project is the holistic development of Great Nicobar Island. It is an infrastructure-intensive project that includes a transhipment port at Galathea Bay, an international airport, a township, and a power plant, situated in the south eastern coast of Great Nicobar Island. It is an ambitious project, costing ₹72,000– ₹81,000 crore conceived by the NITI Aayog. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) implements it. The objective is to utilise the geostrategic advantage of the Nicobar Islands and make it a crucial strategic, economic, and defence centre in the Indo-Pacific region. The project will take 30 years for its completion. Four key areas will receive the closest attention under this project.
The International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) is a deep-water port at Galathea Bay. It is expected to handle nearly 14.2–16 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) annually. Greenfield International Airport will address civil and military requirements and promote tourism. A 450 MVA (MegaVolt -Ampere) hybrid power complex will manage the island's energy requirements and ensure self-sufficiency. An integrated township is also a part of this project.
The strategic urgency of the Great Nicobar Project is the main reason behind the multi-crore project. Its proximity to the Strait of Malacca increases its importance as a major strategic hub. It is a cornerstone of India's national security in the Indo-Pacific. It is a counterweight to the shifting geopolitics in the region, especially the increasing Chinese and US interests. The Strait of Malacca is a critical global choke point. Over 70% of China's oil imports and 30% of global trade cross the Strait. The Indian Navy's proximity to the Strait, in the event of a naval base on Great Nicobar Island, helps India monitor traffic in the region and enhances its security posture.
The project is a counterweight 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. It is vital to China's energy imports because it is an energy-dependent country. It is China's great game of power projection across the Indian Ocean region. The string of pearls comprises Gwadar (Pakistan), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Djibouti (Horn of Africa), Kyaukphyu (Myanmar), and the Coco Islands (north-eastern Bay of Bengal). Through these strategic ports, China conducts surveillance and projects its subtle military power and naval prowess. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has invested in these infrastructural projects to project its power. It is a strategic encirclement of India in its Indian Ocean region. The Great Nicobar Project is an urgent strategic response to the increasing Chinese expansionism in the Indian Ocean region. China's supply chain and oil imports make it dependent on the Indian Ocean. India's counterweight to China requires the Great Nicobar Project. Regional dominance and maritime security in the Indian Ocean region require India to secure its strategic depth and curb Chinese interference. The Great Nicobar Project is India's counter-strategy to monitor the Chinese interference in the region. It will be a gatekeeper to the Malacca Strait, bringing the balance of power and checking Chinese hegemony. The project will facilitate better coastal radar networks to observe the marine movement. It is also a milestone in extending cooperation with Quad (India, US, Japan, Australia) and working in tandem 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 logistical super-hub. Upon the completion of the project, it will increase India's shipping revenue. It will end the long dependence on foreign ports. It will make India a key player in the transhipment market. India depends on the foreign ports to tranship its cargo. Around 75% of its cargo is transhipped 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. The ICTT may generate annual revenue of ₹30,000 crore by 2040.
The mega project may create 50,000 high-paying jobs across sectors such as logistics, aviation, and energy. It will be the centre of an urban economic engine. The 149 sq. km greenfield township will transform the region into a space of intense economic and urban activity. The project makes the Great Nicobar Island a Special Economic Zone, where a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) could be possible. The greenfield international airport will enhance global tourism. The blue economy will get the required impetus. Maritime resources can turn into an economic activity.
The bone of contention is ecology. The Great Nicobar Project is ambitious and strategically important, but the ecological damage it may cause raises concerns. The region is a pristine tropical rainforest ecosystem. Concerns are genuine. But hyper-activism is unwarranted. Geostrategic compulsions cannot be ignored. The project will involve deforestation, habitat fragmentation, threats to endangered species (giant leatherback turtles, the Nicobar megapode, and the Nicobar macaque), impacts on coral reefs and mangroves due to dredging and the loss of natural barriers, and loss of marine nurseries. The island is vulnerable to seismic threats. Given these apprehensions, NTG maintains strict guidelines for the Great Nicobar Project.
NTG has mandated strict adherence to environmental concerns and the protection of biodiversity and indigenous communities. No erosion or shoreline changes and no loss of sandy beaches are to be strictly maintained. The sandy beaches are important for nesting sites for turtles and birds. Coral conservation and the translocation of coral colonies must be strictly followed. Opening new wildlife sanctuaries to protect Leatherback turtles, Nicobar megapodes, and corals is compulsory. Two research stations at Campbell Bay and Kamorta island are to be constructed to monitor biodiversity health. Eight dedicated wildlife corridors are to be developed for animal movement across developed areas.
NTG recommends strict adherence to the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Independent monitoring committees must be established to assess tribal welfare and prevent intervention into tribal habitation caused by developmental activities on the island. Development is prohibited in the ecologically sensitive zones. A compulsory compliance with the Island Coastal Regulation Zone (ICRZ) Notification, 2019 is mandated. Pollution norms are to be strictly followed. No natural water body, and its flow is restricted for developmental activity. Any violation of the above condition will result in a legal challenge. A high-powered committee (HPC) is constituted to review the project and the environmental clearances.
The above challenges are genuine. Strict guidelines are also important. It is also equally important to roll out the Great Nicobar Project. The strategic imperatives and increasing security fragility 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 the region was very rich and time-tested. It is time to revive the region's strategic and economic depth to make India emerge as a confident and dependable partner. The Chinese aggressive policy of strategic encirclement requires a befitting counterweight. The Great Nicobar Project is the solution to the strategic and security inadequacies. India must develop it to redefine its strategic importance. Environmental concerns are important and must be effectively addressed, not just mere paperwork. A genuine concern for ecology and ecological fragility must be shown to make this project a real success.
(The views expressed are personal)
This article is authored by Jajati K Pattnaik, chairperson, Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Chandan Panda, professor, Central University of Karnataka, Karnataka.
