India's Great Nicobar Island project aims to counter China, boost trade amid environmental concerns

India is pushing forward with a massive $12.5 billion development project on Great Nicobar Island, a strategic location in the eastern Indian Ocean near the Strait of Malacca, a crucial global trade route. Championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Great Nicobar Island Project aims to counter China's growing regional influence, enhance India's military capabilities, and capitalize on burgeoning trade opportunities.

Modi has described the project as being "of strategic, defence and national importance," envisioning it as a "major hub of maritime and air connectivity." The ambitious, multi-phase plan is slated for completion by 2047, with the first phase expected by 2035. Preliminary work reportedly began last year.

However, the project has ignited significant concerns regarding its environmental and human impact. Bulldozers are clearing ancient forests that are home to some of the last remaining isolated indigenous communities on Earth, including the Shompen people. Conservationists also worry about the island's delicate ecosystem, which supports numerous endemic species and serves as a nesting ground for endangered leatherback turtles.

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of strategic, defence and national importance

Great Nicobar Island, part of the Andaman archipelago, is located approximately 40 nautical miles from the Strait of Malacca, through which a substantial portion of global trade, including China's energy supplies, transits. The island is inhabited by about 9,000 people, including indigenous groups like the Nicobarese and the Shompen. The Shompen, estimated at around 300 individuals, are hunter-gatherers who largely shun outside contact and have inhabited the island for millennia. Their language remains largely untranslated.

The development plan includes clearing nearly one-fifth of the island's landmass. Official estimates suggest around 711,000 trees will be felled, though conservationists fear the number could be in the millions. Key components of the first phase include a $5.5 billion port at Galathea Bay and an airport at Campbell Bay. Once operational, the port is projected to handle over 20 million twenty-foot equivalent container units annually, significantly boosting India's maritime infrastructure.

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major hub of maritime and air connectivity