Kiren Rijiju says Great Nicobar project will boost India’s economic growth and supply-chain independence
The government defended the Great Nicobar Island mega infrastructure project, asserting it will substantially boost India's economic and strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific
The Ministry of Earth Sciences highlighted the project's significance for maritime trade routes, particularly its proximity to the East-West international shipping lane
The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) granted in-principle recommendation for the International Container Transhipment Port at Galathea Bay in 2026
A civil-military greenfield airport worth ₹13,000 crore was cleared in June 2026; it will operate under naval control while also serving civil aviation
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) refused to interfere with environmental clearances, ruling that "adequate safeguards have been provided"
Andaman and Nicobar Islands — Strategic Geography
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a chain of over 572 islands in the Bay of Bengal, forming India's strategic outpost at the confluence of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Great Nicobar, the southernmost island, lies just 90 km from the Strait of Malacca — through which nearly 40% of global trade passes.
Key Details
- The islands are administered as a Union Territory
- They straddle the east-west shipping lane connecting the Middle East, Africa, and Europe to East Asia
- Galathea Bay's natural water depth of over 20 metres eliminates dredging constraints for large container ships
- The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), India's only tri-services command, is headquartered at Port Blair
The proposed transhipment port at Galathea Bay is designed to capture a share of transhipment traffic currently dominated by Colombo, Singapore, and Port Klang, while simultaneously serving as a dual-use naval logistics hub.
Transhipment Port — Economic Logic
A transhipment port is a hub where cargo is transferred from large vessels to smaller feeder ships for onward distribution. India currently sends 75% of its transhipment traffic to foreign ports — Colombo, Singapore, and Port Klang — losing significant revenue and logistical leverage.
Key Details
- The Galathea Bay ICTT (International Container Transhipment Terminal) is planned for a total capacity of 16 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units); Phase I capacity is 4 million TEUs
- Phase I is expected to be commissioned by 2028
- Total project cost: ₹75,000–81,000 crore (~US$9 billion)
- Developed by ANIIDC (Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation)
- Conceived and planned under the auspices of NITI Aayog
Capturing transhipment traffic domestically reduces India's logistics cost and dependence on foreign port infrastructure — a key goal of the National Logistics Policy 2022.
Environmental Concerns vs. Development Imperatives
The project raises acute ecological issues because Great Nicobar is a UNESCO-recommended biodiversity hotspot. The island hosts primary tropical rainforest, coral reefs, and one of the world's most important nesting sites for the endangered giant leatherback sea turtle at Galathea Bay.
Key Details
- Estimated 130 sq km of forest land to be diverted; up to 852,000 trees to be felled (independent scientists suggest the actual figure may be higher)
- Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; Galathea Bay is a critical Indian Ocean nesting site
- Coral transplantation has been proposed as a mitigation measure but is widely criticized as unproven at this scale
- The Shompen tribe (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) inhabits Great Nicobar; their rights and Forest Rights Act 2006 protections are under scrutiny
- EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) under the Environment Protection Act 1986 and Forest Conservation Act 1980 approvals were obtained
The government's defence of the project rests on strategic necessity, but critics invoke Article 48A (DPSP on environment protection) and Article 51A(g) (Fundamental Duty to protect environment) of the Constitution.
Civil-Military Dual-Use Infrastructure
The planned airport will remain under naval operational control while serving civil aviation — a model of dual-use infrastructure that serves both defence and commercial purposes.
Key Details
- The airport will be built within five years of approval
- Dual-use airports reduce the cost of maintaining separate military and civilian airstrips and integrate logistics chains
- India's Integrated Theatre Command reforms aim to better utilise dual-use infrastructure across services
The naval control of the airport enables rapid force projection into the eastern Indian Ocean, strengthening India's ability to monitor the Malacca Strait chokepoint and respond to Chinese naval activity in the Indo-Pacific.
- Project total cost: ₹75,000–81,000 crore (~US$9 billion)
- Airport cost: ₹13,000 crore
- Phase I transhipment capacity: 4 million TEUs; total planned: 16 million TEUs
- Phase I commissioning target: 2028
- Distance from East-West shipping lane: ~40 nautical miles
- Distance from Strait of Malacca: ~90 km
- Forest diversion: ~130 sq km; up to 852,000 trees
- Developer: ANIIDC (Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation)
- 10th Schedule animals at risk: Giant leatherback sea turtle (listed as Vulnerable, IUCN)
- India currently routes ~75% of transhipment traffic through Colombo, Singapore, and Port Klang
- NGT ruled in February 2026 that "adequate safeguards have been provided"