The central government has officially notified the International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) at Great Nicobar Island’s Galathea Bay as a major port under the Indian Ports Act, marking a significant milestone in the Union Territory’s controversial ₹81,800 crore Holistic Development Plan. The announcement was made in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday by Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, in response to a question raised by AAP MP Sanjay Singh.
Sonowal stated that the container port, projected to handle 16 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per annum, will be developed in four phases at an estimated cost of ₹43,796 crore. This transshipment hub is expected to play a crucial role in positioning India as a key player in global maritime logistics and reducing its dependency on foreign ports such as Colombo, Singapore, and Port Klang for transhipment services.
“No new major port was constructed or commissioned in the last five years,” Sonowal told the Upper House, but added that the ICTP and the approved deep-sea port at Vadhvan in Maharashtra are poised to change that narrative. The Vadhvan port, with a proposed handling capacity of 23.2 million TEUs, is expected to be completed by 2030 at an estimated cost of ₹76,220 crore.
The ICTP is the flagship component of the larger Great Nicobar Holistic Development project, which also includes an international airport, a township, and a 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant. Combined, these projects represent the single largest infrastructure investment ever planned in the ecologically sensitive Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
While the government has defended the plan as essential for national security and economic growth, the project has sparked widespread environmental and tribal rights concerns. The Great Nicobar region is part of the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot, home to endemic species and tribal communities such as the Shompen and Nicobarese. Environmentalists have warned of irreversible damage to coastal ecosystems, coral reefs, nesting grounds for leatherback turtles, and endemic forest areas.
Addressing these concerns, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav had earlier told Parliament that “exemplary mitigation measures” have been integrated into the project to reduce environmental impact. “All efforts have been made to ensure that the strategic, national, and defence interests are balanced with ecological sustainability,” he said in an August 2025 statement.
The port is also being pitched as a critical node in international maritime corridors. According to Sonowal, the investment aligns with India’s strategic ambitions, especially in light of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and the International North-South Transport Corridor. The port’s ability to accommodate Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) is expected to cut transportation costs and significantly boost trade competitiveness.
In addition to enhancing India’s maritime infrastructure, the government claims that the ICTP will create new economic opportunities for the local population and improve logistical connectivity in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean Region. However, local stakeholders and environmental watchdogs continue to raise questions about the long-term ecological and social implications of transforming a remote island into a global shipping hub.
Implementation of the first phase of the port is expected to begin soon, following its designation as a major port. The Services Department and the Port Authority have been instructed to expedite planning and approvals in accordance with the amended Indian Ports Act.
As development begins to take shape, all eyes remain on the fragile equilibrium between national ambition and environmental stewardship in one of India’s most strategically located, and ecologically significant, island chains.
