Great Nicobar project: Balancing strategy, ecology and national interest

Great Nicobar Island occupies one of the most strategic locations in the world. Situated close to the Malacca Strait, through which a substantial portion of global maritime trade passes, the island offers India a unique opportunity to strengthen its presence in the Indian Ocean

The Great Nicobar Development Project proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, stands at an important stage for the future geo-strategic dominance of the country in trade and defence. The proposed project, which includes an international transhipment port, airport, power infrastructure, roads, and an urban township, has generated intense debate across the country. To some, it represents India’s strategic and economic future in the Indo-Pacific region. To naysayers, it is a threat to fragile biodiversity and indigenous tribal communities. The truth, however, lies not in extreme positions but in finding a balanced and workable path that protects both national interest and environmental responsibility.

Great Nicobar Island occupies one of the most strategic locations in the world. Situated close to the Malacca Strait (40 to 90 nautical miles away), through which a substantial portion of global maritime trade passes, the island offers India a unique opportunity to strengthen its presence in the Indian Ocean. At present, a major share of Indian cargo depends upon foreign transhipment hubs such as Singapore and Colombo. A modern port in Great Nicobar could reduce this dependence, improve India’s trade competitiveness, and strengthen maritime self-reliance. The strategic significance of the island goes beyond economics. In an era of rising geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific, India requires stronger naval logistics, surveillance capability, and rapid-response infrastructure in the Andaman and Nicobar region. The project, therefore, has undeniable defence value. Stronger infrastructure in the islands would enhance India’s maritime security and reinforce its role as a leading regional power. At the same time, critics of the project have raised legitimate concerns. Great Nicobar is home to dense tropical forests, mangroves, coral reefs, and several rare species such as the globally threatened Nicobar Megapode, Nicobar Tree Shrew, crab-eating long-tailed macaque, and Giant Leatherback Sea Turtle. Environmental groups fear that large-scale construction may damage fragile ecosystems and threaten wildlife habitats.

The island is also ecologically vulnerable because of earthquakes, tsunamis, and rising sea levels. The devastating tsunami of 2004 remains a reminder that the Nicobar region cannot be treated like an ordinary urban expansion zone. Some people have also raised concerns regarding indigenous communities such as the semi-nomadic Shompen tribe, recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, which has lived in relative isolation for centuries. According to critics, uncontrolled urbanisation could disturb their traditional lifestyle and cause cultural disruption. However, it is also necessary to place the debate in perspective. Opponents argue that tribal reserves must remain inviolable and completely insulated from commercial expansion, tourism, and migration pressures. On the other hand, I am a strong proponent of bringing tribal communities into mainstream society for development, healthcare, education, and employment, based on my 40 years of experience in tribal-dominated states of North-East and Central India. What is needed is the preservation of tribal languages, music, art, and cultural practices, including indigenous medicine.

An integrated tribal development project should be implemented by the Forest Department not only in the project area but across the entire Andaman and Nicobar Union Territory. Since the area is prone to earthquakes and tsunamis, infrastructure must be designed to withstand earthquakes, cyclones, and tsunamis through advanced engineering standards.

Reports indicate that the actual core development area constitutes less than 1 per cent of the total island area. This means the challenge before policymakers is not whether development should happen, but how it should happen responsibly. In this regard, one aspect of the proposal that needs modification is the plan for a massive township of nearly six lakh people. Such a large urban settlement may place unsustainable pressure on the fragile island ecosystem. A more realistic and nationally prudent approach would be to limit the township population to around 50,000 to one lakh people, primarily consisting of defence personnel, port workers, researchers, administrators, and trade-related professionals. Great Nicobar should therefore become a strategic trade and defence hub rather than a densely populated commercial city.

Environmental safeguards must also become central to the project, and the Forest Department should be empowered under the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, to constantly monitor developmental activities, sea pollution and ensure the protection of biodiversity and the overall environment.

Sensitive areas such as turtle nesting beaches, coral reefs, mangroves, and primary forests should remain protected as no-development zones. Construction should follow strict green standards with renewable energy systems, controlled waste management, rainwater harvesting, and disaster-resilient infrastructure. Development should proceed in carefully monitored phases rather than through uncontrolled expansion.

In a nutshell, India today requires infrastructure, maritime capability, and economic strength to secure its place in the changing global order as a global power. At the same time, development that destroys ecological wealth and cultural heritage cannot truly serve national interest. Strategic progress and environmental conservation must therefore go hand in hand.

The Great Nicobar Project should not become a victim of either blind opposition or reckless expansionism. India must pursue a middle path — one that combines strategic necessity with ecological wisdom. A carefully regulated, defence- and trade-oriented development model with limited urbanisation can ensure that Great Nicobar strengthens India’s future without compromising its environmental and moral responsibilities.

The real success of the project will not be measured merely by the size of its port or township, but by whether India can demonstrate that it can emerge as a global power in the Indian Ocean without harming its ecology. The Great Nicobar Project must therefore be implemented both efficiently and carefully. Since the proposal is being piloted by the Home Ministry, it needs to be fine-tuned after discussions with the Andaman Forest Department and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change before it is put out for tendering or assigned to an implementing agency.

India’s national interest requires strategic depth along with environmental stability. A smarter, carefully regulated, defence — and trade-oriented development model would allow India to secure its maritime future while preserving biodiversity and protecting indigenous communities. If planned wisely, Great Nicobar can become an example of sustainable strategic development rather than a case of ecological overexpansion.

The strategic significance of the island goes beyond economics. In an era of rising geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific, India requires stronger naval logistics, surveillance capability, and rapid-response infrastructure in the Andaman and Nicobar region. The project, therefore, has undeniable defence value

The writer is former Director-General ICFRE and Chairman of Centre for Resource Management and Environment; Views presented are personal.