India plans to pour about ₹13,000 crore into developing Great Nicobar Island. Aim: build dual-use airport and runway for civilian,naval operations. Defense Ministry official announced June 8,2026, stressing strategic role in boosting maritime security,regional links in Indian Ocean Region .
Project should wrap up in five years, funded by Defense and Civil Aviation Ministries . Seen as key move to boost India's Indo-Pacific presence,given Great Nicobar's closeness to Six Degree Channel. Critical maritime path from Gulf of Aden to Malacca Strait .
Four main parts: International Container Trans-shipment Port, joint-use greenfield airport and Naval Air Station, modern township,and power plant. Meant to turn Great Nicobar into maritime,economic hub while boosting India's defense .
By cutting reliance on foreign ports,project aims to fortify India's monitoring,security of key Sea Lanes of Communication . Proposed airport,approved by Union Cabinet,expected to enhance logistics,rapid deployment for Navy. Also,projected to boost tourism with capacity for 1.35 million passengers yearly by 2040.
Before choosing Galathea Bay,five sites,including INS Baaz at Campbell Bay,were considered . Technical and environmental issues made INS Baaz expansion impractical . Officials say thorough assessments tackled environmental,tribal rights with help from Zoological Survey of India,Wildlife Institute of India.
Only 166.1 square kilometers of island to be developed,keeping over 81% as protected forests,biosphere reserves,national parks,tribal zones. Conservation package of ₹2,220 crore planned over 30 years to protect wildlife like leatherback turtles,Nicobar megapodes,crocodiles,plus coral reefs and mangroves.
No tribal displacement planned,officials say. Consultations held with tribal welfare bodies . Aside from strategic aspects,project expected to create over 100,000 jobs, giving economic lift to island while supporting India's maritime,security goals…
