Strategic, not commercial: Govt rebuts criticism of Great Nicobar Project

Published 8 June 2026 · india

The Centre has pushed back against concerns raised by environmental activists over the 81,000 crore Great Nicobar Project, with top Defence Ministry sources describing criticism

The Centre has pushed back against concerns raised by environmental activists over the 81,000 crore Great Nicobar Project, with top Defence Ministry sources describing criticism of the project as stemming from a “lack of geographical understanding." They also asserted that the project is driven by strategic imperatives that would serve India's long-term goals. The Centre’s clarification comes weeks after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Great Nicobar Island and echoed concerns raised by environmentalists, who have warned that the project could endanger the region’s unique wildlife and marine ecosystem. Read Full Story The planned project is located barely 40 km from the Six Degree Channel and close to the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints.

“This is not a commercial real estate project. It is a strategic national project aimed at strengthening India’s presence in the eastern Indian Ocean,” sources said. DEFENCE MINISTRY DEFENDS PROJECT Defence officials told India Today TV that the project is not limited to military infrastructure but also includes the development of assets such as airports, power plants, logistics hubs, townships, and maritime infrastructure to sustain a permanent presence. They argued that Great Nicobar should have been developed much earlier, adding that the project will strengthen national security, reduce dependence on foreign transshipment hubs, and create over one lakh jobs in the region. The planned greenfield airport under Navy control would significantly enhance India’s maritime surveillance, operational reach, logistics support, and disaster response capabilities, defence officials said.

They also countered demands to simply expand INS Baaz, stating that multiple sites were examined and that a greenfield airport at Galathea Bay was found to be less environmentally damaging and more suitable for future expansion. “Expanding INS Baaz would have required extensive hill cutting, dredging, and land reclamation,” Defence sources said, adding that such an expansion could have caused greater ecological disruption than the proposed project. ‘NO DAMAGE TO ENVIRONMENT’ Officials pointed out that over 81 per cent of Great Nicobar Island would remain under forests, national parks, biosphere reserves, and tribal conservation areas. They further highlighted that only 166 sq km has been earmarked for development, and that more than half of the diverted forest area would continue to remain green, with no tree felling planned in those portions.