Opinion | Why The Great Nicobar Project Matters More Than Ever

By recognising Great Nicobar’s potential and advancing its development, the Modi government has taken a key step to strengthen India’s long-term security and economic resilience.

In an increasingly volatile geopolitical environment, nations are rediscovering the importance of geography. Strategic locations that were once overlooked are now emerging as decisive assets in the contest for economic and military influence. The ongoing Israel-Iran war has once again demonstrated how fragile global supply chains can become when key maritime routes are threatened.

Against this backdrop, India’s ambitious Great Nicobar development project, including a strategic airport and transshipment hub close to the Malacca shipping route, stands out as one of the most forward-looking initiatives of the Modi government.

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Conceived under his leadership, the project is not merely an infrastructure initiative but a long-term strategic investment that could transform India’s maritime and security posture in the Indo-Pacific. At a time when supply chains are being repeatedly disrupted by conflict and great-power competition, the importance of India nurturing such strategic assets has never been clearer.

The Great Nicobar project aims to transform India’s southernmost island into a major logistics and strategic hub. It includes a deep-water international container transshipment port, a greenfield international airport capable of handling both civilian and military operations, along with supporting infrastructure such as power facilities and a township to sustain economic activity.

The true strength of the project lies in its location. Great Nicobar sits very close to the Strait of Malacca, one of the busiest maritime corridors in the world. This narrow waterway links the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and carries a massive share of global trade, including large volumes of oil shipments headed towards East Asia. From a strategic perspective, the island lies only about forty nautical miles from the main shipping route that passes through the........

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