Sri Vijaya Puram, Sept. 6: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are set for a change at the top of the Union Territory administration with President Droupadi Murmu appointing Dr Dinesh Sharma as the new Lieutenant Governor of the islands.
The President’s Secretariat announced the appointment on Saturday, stating that Dr Sharma will take charge as Lieutenant Governor with effect from the date he assumes office.
The appointment marks the end of the tenure of Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi (Retd), who has served as Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands since October 8, 2017.
From Naval Chief to administrator of the islands
Admiral D.K. Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd), took charge as the 14th Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on October 8, 2017. A former Chief of the Naval Staff, Joshi brought extensive experience in maritime security and strategic affairs to the administration of the strategically located archipelago. He had also been designated Vice Chairman of the Islands Development Agency, which was constituted to guide the comprehensive development of India’s island territories.
During his tenure, the administration’s development agenda increasingly focused on connectivity, tourism, maritime infrastructure, energy security and the strategic importance of the islands.
Joshi was closely associated with the push for major infrastructure projects in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including initiatives linked to aviation, tourism, maritime connectivity and the proposed development of Great Nicobar. In 2023, the new integrated terminal building at Veer Savarkar International Airport was inaugurated, significantly expanding the airport’s passenger-handling capacity.
In his public engagements, Joshi repeatedly underlined the islands’ potential as a strategic and economic gateway to the wider Indo-Pacific. As recently as June 2026, he was participating in discussions on the security, development and ecological future of the islands, highlighting the importance of maritime connectivity, tourism and strategic infrastructure.
His tenure also coincided with renewed attention on the Great Nicobar Island Development Project, which includes proposals for an international container transshipment terminal, an international airport and associated infrastructure.
Who is Dr Dinesh Sharma?
The incoming Lieutenant Governor brings a very different professional background.
Dr Dinesh Sharma is an academic-turned-politician from Uttar Pradesh. A professor of Commerce at the University of Lucknow, Sharma holds a Master’s degree in Commerce and a PhD and has authored research papers and books in the field of commerce.
He entered active politics through the Bharatiya Janata Party and served as Mayor of Lucknow before becoming one of the two Deputy Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh in the first Yogi Adityanath government from 2017 to 2022. During his tenure as Deputy Chief Minister, he handled portfolios including higher and secondary education, science and technology, and electronics and information technology.
Sharma subsequently entered Parliament as a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh in September 2023. He has also served on the Rajya Sabha’s Panel of Vice-Chairpersons.
His appointment therefore brings an administrator with experience in education, urban governance, technology and political administration to a Union Territory whose priorities increasingly span tourism, infrastructure, connectivity, environmental management and strategic development.
A new phase for the islands
The transition comes at a significant point for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The UT is witnessing major discussions around air connectivity, tourism infrastructure, maritime development, the Great Nicobar project, healthcare, education and improving connectivity between the islands.
For Dr Sharma, the immediate challenge will be to balance the islands’ ambitious development agenda with the everyday concerns of islanders, including transportation, airfares, employment, public infrastructure and access to essential services.
For Admiral Joshi, his nearly nine-year tenure leaves behind a period in which the strategic and developmental significance of the archipelago received unprecedented attention.
Dr Dinesh Sharma will formally assume office once he takes charge, beginning a new chapter in the administration of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
