OPINION | Great Nicobar: India’s Strategic Frontier In The Indian Ocean

Summary

India is transforming Great Nicobar Island into a major transhipment hub, military logistics centre, and economic gateway, a strategic move that aims to increase the country's presence in the eastern Indian Ocean. Located near the Malacca Strait, one of the busiest maritime chokepoints in the world, the island will give India significant strategic leverage, with nearly one third of global shipping traffic passing through this corridor. The Great Nicobar project is part of India's effort to emerge as a decisive maritime power in the Indo Pacific, and will help reduce the country's dependence on foreign ports for cargo transshipment.