Why the Greater Nicobar Development Project Matters for Every Indian
Imagine standing at India‘s southernmost tip and being able to see, on a clear day, the ships that carry a quarter of the world’s trade. That is not a metaphor. Indira Point on Great Nicobar Island sits just 160 kilometres from the western entrance to the Strait of Malacca — the narrow waterway through which flows more global commerce than any other passage on earth. Over 100,000 ships pass through it every year, including the tankers that carry 70 to 80 percent of Asia‘s oil.
India has owned this extraordinary geography for decades. What it has lacked — until now — is the infrastructure, the military muscle, and the political will to use it fully. The Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) development project, a Rs 92,000-crore investment to be completed by 2047, is India‘s answer to that long-standing gap.
Why These Islands Are Unlike Any Other
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) stretch across 800 kilometres of ocean, roughly 1,300 kilometres southeast of the Indian mainland. They sit precisely where the Indian Ocean meets the Pacific Ocean — where the Bay of Bengal opens into the Andaman Sea, and where the Strait of Malacca begins. No other Indian territory occupies this kind of position.
To put it simply: whoever controls these islands has a front-row seat to the most important shipping lane in the world. They can watch what passes through. They can respond quickly to threats. And in a crisis, they can, if necessary, make life very difficult for anyone trying to move ships, fuel, or military assets through the strait.
India holds these islands. The Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) development project is about making sure India actually uses them.
India’s Only Joint Military Command — And Its New Teeth
The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is India‘s only tri-services command — meaning the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force operate together under a single headquarters, rather than in their separate silos. It was established in 2001, but for many years it remained modestly equipped relative to its strategic importance.
That is changing rapidly. The Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) development project will transform the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) into a genuinely potent forward military base. Here is what that means in concrete terms:
Longer runways, hardened shelters. The airstrips at Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay, and Diglipur are being lengthened and reinforced. This means India‘s frontline combat aircraft — Rafale and Su-30 MKI — can be stationed here, fuelled, armed, and ready. A Su-30 MKI, with a single mid-air refuelling, can reach the South China Sea from Car Nicobar. That is a striking change in reach.
Eyes in the sky, 24/7. India‘s P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and MQ-9 surveillance drones will be able to spend far more time over the Strait of Malacca and the eastern Indian Ocean when operating from Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) airbases, rather than flying all the way from the mainland. More time over the target means fewer ships, submarines, or threats go undetected.
Missiles with long reach. Land-based BrahMos cruise missiles will be positioned across the islands. The BrahMos, with its supersonic speed and precision, can reach targets far out to sea — covering the approaches to the Strait of Malacca and the surrounding waters. This provides a powerful deterrent against any hostile naval force in the region.
Naval depth. Key naval stations — INS Utkrosh at Port Blair, INS Kohassa at Diglipur, INS Baaz at Campbell Bay, and INS Kardip in the Nicobar group — are being upgraded with deeper berths to handle larger warships and submarines. The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) already operates missile corvettes and amphibious warships. With more infrastructure, it will host more of them, more permanently.
Air defences. Surface-to-air missile batteries and layered air defence systems will protect the islands and their infrastructure from aerial threats. In modern warfare, a base without air defence is a target. The Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) development project ensures these islands are defended, not just inhabited.
The Elephant in the Room: China’s Navy
No discussion of Indian Ocean strategy is complete without acknowledging the growing presence of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in these waters. Over the past decade, Chinese naval vessels, research ships, and submarine activity in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) have increased substantially. Chinese ports along what analysts call the String of Pearls — Gwadar Port in Pakistan, Hambantota International Port in Sri Lanka, and Chittagong Port in Bangladesh — have expanded Beijing‘s maritime reach closer and closer to India‘s shores.
India‘s response cannot simply be diplomatic protests or written objections. It requires physical presence — ships in the water, aircraft in the sky, missiles on the ground, and eyes watching every vessel that passes through critical chokepoints. The Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) development project delivers precisely that. A fully operational Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) with advanced surveillance aircraft, submarines, combat jets, and long-range missiles transforms the Strait of Malacca from a Chinese comfort zone into a closely watched and, if necessary, contestable waterway.
China has spent years building artificial islands in the South China Sea to project military power. India need not build artificial islands — it already has real ones, legally and unambiguously sovereign, in a position of arguably greater strategic value. The only task is to develop them.
Military Strength and Economic Power: Two Sides of the Same Coin
A military base without economic activity is a drain on the state. A port without naval protection is vulnerable. The genius of the Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) development project plan is that it treats military strength and economic development as inseparable — each reinforcing the other.
Today, a large share of India‘s containerised exports are transhipped through foreign ports — primarily Singapore and Colombo. Ships carrying Indian goods sail past the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI), stop at a foreign port to transfer cargo onto larger vessels, and only then continue to global markets. India pays for this. The proposed international container transhipment port (ICTP) at Galathea Bay would bring much of that business home. Positioned right at the Strait of Malacca entrance, it is perfectly placed to capture regional transhipment traffic, generate revenue, and create skilled maritime jobs.
Beneath the seabed, there is another prize. The ANI Basin holds an estimated 371 million metric tonnes of oil equivalent in hydrocarbon reserves — one of India‘s largest unexplored energy frontiers. Deep-water drilling in 2025 confirmed significant natural gas deposits, primarily methane, at commercial depths. Developing these reserves will reduce India‘s dependence on energy imports and support the country’s transition from coal to cleaner natural gas.
Add world-class tourism — the islands’ pristine beaches, coral reefs, and natural beauty are genuinely extraordinary — and you have an economy that can sustain itself, fund its own development, and attract global investment, all while sitting atop one of the most important military locations in Asia.
Civil and Military: Designed to Work Together
One of the most elegant aspects of the Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) development project plan is its dual-use technology design. The military airstrips at Car Nicobar, Campbell Bay, and Diglipur are being activated for civilian air services as well. Locals who previously had to travel by ship for days can fly. Tourists can reach the islands without a gruelling journey. And the military gets permanent, well-maintained airfield infrastructure at no extra cost — because civilian operators help fund it.
The Chennai-Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CANI) submarine cable — a 2,300 km fibre-optic communication link — has already brought high-speed internet to the islands, enabling digital commerce, remote working, and military communications on the same backbone. Roads, power grids, and port infrastructure all serve both civilian residents and defence purposes simultaneously. This is how modern strategic infrastructure should be built: every rupee doing double duty.
A Base for India’s Friends, Too
India‘s strategic vision for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) extends beyond purely national defence. A developed Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) would allow India to offer Operational Turnaround (OTR) facilities to friendly navies — meaning allied warships can refuel, resupply, and rest at Indian bases rather than relying on distant home ports. This is how strategic partnerships are built and sustained: not just with diplomatic words, but with physical access and practical support.
Coordinated Patrols (CORPATs) with regional partners — including ASEAN navies — can be staged from the Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI), reinforcing the message that the Indian Ocean is governed by a rules-based order, not by the whims of any single power. Through frameworks like BIMSTEC and the MAHASAGAR vision — which advances the idea of mutual security and growth across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) — a militarily credible and economically vibrant Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) becomes India‘s most powerful instrument of regional diplomacy.
The People and the Environment
The islands are home to some of India‘s most ancient and protected tribal communities — Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) — whose way of life and cultural survival must be safeguarded. The plan takes this seriously. A dedicated green development zone prohibits any tree-felling. Power comes from a hybrid natural gas and solar power plant, not fossil fuel generators. Tourism is built around eco-tourism and wellness, not mass-market concrete resorts.
The local Nicobarese community is expected to grow from 7,500 to 11,500, with permanent jobs, improved healthcare, connectivity, and services. Development should mean a better life for the people who already live there — not just for those who arrive later. The Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) development project plan, as conceived, holds to that principle. Whether it holds in execution will require sustained oversight.
Whole of Nation Approach
This is a time for the whole-of-nation approach. This project of national importance, which should have actually begun a few decades back, cannot be derailed by petty, unsubstantiated allegations or scoring political goals. The project is not in competition with any mainland projects. The development of Vizhinjam International Seaport (Kerala) and Visakhapatnam Port (Andhra Pradesh) is happening in parallel. Fast-growing India needs many more ports. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) have the gift of geography and strategic location.
Indians are routinely travelling to international island destinations for tourism; it is high time the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI)‘s tourism potential is fully exploited. The environmental issues have been specially looked into, and there will be no destruction of trees, flora, or fauna, and the coral reefs will be kept intact. The local tribes and their culture will be protected, and, in fact, their numbers will grow. India is a mature democracy. There are many well-established watchdogs. Indians must be reassured that this strategically and economically important project will be a win-win for the country. Every agency must back the project for India‘s good.
The Bottom Line
Military power is not just about the number of soldiers or the size of a navy. It is about position—where you are, how quickly you can act, and how long you can sustain operations. The Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI), by virtue of where they sit on the map, give India a position of extraordinary value. The Greater Nicobar Islands (GNI) development project converts that geographic inheritance into real, usable military and strategic power.
Think of it this way: a chess player who controls the centre of the board controls the game. The Strait of Malacca is the centre of the Indo-Pacific chessboard. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) are India‘s pieces on that square. For too long, they have sat idle. The Rs 92,000-crore investment being made today is India picking up those pieces and placing them exactly where they should be.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) have always been India’s strategic ace. It is time to play it.
Header Picture Credit: Representative Image Generated using AI
Twitter: @AirPowerAsia