This year’s Republic Day celebrations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were marked not only by patriotic fervour and ceremonial grandeur but also by a strong focus on the Islands’ fast-expanding development landscape, with several mega infrastructure and tourism projects outlined as key drivers of the region’s future.
The main function, held along the Marina Park Road stretch, saw the Lt Governor, Admiral D.K. Joshi (Retd.), unfurl the National Flag in the presence of senior defence and civil officials, public representatives and citizens. In his address, he linked the spirit of the Constitution with the Islands’ growing role in national development, security and governance.
A major highlight of the speech was the holistic development plan for Great Nicobar Island, described as a project of national importance. The initiative includes the development of an International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT), a Greenfield International Airport, a power plant and a modern township. As per official details, the ICTT under the PPP model is planned with an initial handling capacity of 5.8 million TEUs, scalable to 20.4 million TEUs in later phases, leveraging the Islands’ strategic location near the Malacca Strait.
The proposed Greenfield Airport at Great Nicobar has also received approval as a joint-user facility and Naval Air Station, forming a crucial part of the broader vision to position the Islands as an economic and strategic hub in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, a techno-commercial feasibility study has been assigned for a proposed deep-water port at Atlanta Bay.
Tourism-led development emerged as another core theme. The Lt Governor said tourist arrivals, including foreign visitors, have risen by around 14% over the previous year, with game fishing tourism alone recording nearly 35% growth. The Government of India has approved proposals to develop five-star luxury resorts under PPP mode at Megapode Resort, Aves Island, Shaheed Dweep and Long Island, with an emphasis on environmentally sustainable, high-end tourism.
Experience-based tourism is being expanded through initiatives such as the Barren Island cruise, the ‘Dweep Darshan’ heritage harbour cruise and regulated day tourism in 21 notified islands. Investor interest was indicated by multiple bids for the proposed Yacht Marina project. Policies covering bird watching, caravan tourism, luxury tents, houseboats and astro tourism have also been notified, alongside updated safety SOPs for adventure water sports.
Connectivity, seen as the backbone of tourism and economic growth, is being strengthened through both air and sea routes. Under the UDAN framework, seaplane services, water aerodrome terminals, helicopter services and airport expansion works are progressing. Civil terminal facilities at Shibpur and Car Nicobar are ready, while work at Campbell Bay is nearing completion.
On the maritime side, Cochin Shipyard Limited has been entrusted with building four new vessels of 500-passenger capacity, while large-scale chartering of additional passenger vessels is underway to modernise inter-island transport. Port, jetty and shipping infrastructure upgrades are also in progress.
These projects fall under the broader framework of the Islands Development Agency (IDA), which oversees investments exceeding Rs 1.5 lakh crore across sectors. Alongside IDA initiatives, achievements in education, healthcare, recruitment, urban sanitation and GI-tagged products were also highlighted, reflecting a multi-sector push.
As marching contingents, tableaux and cultural performances added colour to the celebrations, the development roadmap outlined during the address underscored the administration’s focus on transforming the Islands through infrastructure, tourism and strategic connectivity.
