PORT BLAIR, INDIA — India is moving ahead with plans for a large infrastructure development project on remote Great Nicobar Island, officials said, with the initiative aimed at creating new maritime, transport and energy facilities in the southern part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Great Nicobar Island Development Project has received environmental approval and legal clearance to proceed, according to government statements and a decision by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2026.
The project includes plans for a transshipment port, an airport, power infrastructure and a township, according to government information. The development is being coordinated through Indian government agencies, including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation, with planning involvement from NITI Aayog, officials said.
On Monday, officials said the project was intended to strengthen connectivity and support economic activity in the strategically located island region. The government has described the development as important for maritime infrastructure and regional connectivity. “Strategic necessity, not destruction,” was the message from the central government while defending the project against criticism, according to comments reported by Indian media.
The project has also faced criticism from environmental groups and some community advocates. Concerns have been raised about possible impacts on forests, biodiversity and indigenous communities living on the island. The Great Nicobar region includes protected ecological areas and is home to the Shompen people, an Indigenous community recognized as particularly vulnerable by Indian authorities.
The National Green Tribunal, which reviewed challenges related to environmental and coastal approvals, said in February that it found no reason to halt the project at that stage while requiring compliance with environmental safeguards, according to reports on the tribunal decision. Officials have said that environmental conditions and protections must be followed during implementation.
Great Nicobar Island is located at the southern end of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago in the eastern Indian Ocean. The government has highlighted its location near major maritime routes as one reason for the planned infrastructure expansion.
As of Sunday, authorities had not announced completion timelines for the full project. Officials said implementation would continue under approved plans and regulatory requirements, while details of some construction stages remained subject to future decisions and progress reports.
