Sri Vijaya Puram, June21: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday alleged that certain groups opposing India’s development agenda are being influenced by external agencies, arguing that strategic infrastructure projects such as the Great Nicobar development initiative should be viewed within a larger geopolitical context rather than through a purely commercial or political lens.
Speaking at the Andaman Ideas Summit 2026, Rijiju said the debate surrounding major national projects has increasingly become intertwined with global strategic competition, where infrastructure, trade and investment decisions are often driven by geopolitical interests.
Referring to the proposed Great Nicobar project, one of India’s largest infrastructure initiatives, the minister described it as a transformative undertaking with implications extending beyond the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He said the project has the potential to unlock economic opportunities, strengthen India’s strategic position in the Indo-Pacific and generate benefits that could extend to neighbouring countries.
Rijiju maintained that environmental protection and development need not be viewed as competing objectives. According to him, India’s legal framework is robust enough to safeguard wildlife, ecosystems and environmental interests while simultaneously enabling large-scale infrastructure development.
Calling Great Nicobar the “biggest project ever conceived by the Government of India,” the minister urged citizens to examine the proposal in greater depth before forming conclusions.
However, it was his remarks on external influence that drew significant attention during the summit.
“I know there are huge numbers of bodies which are working against India’s growth,” Rijiju said, adding that some groups operating within the country were being “trailed by external agencies.”
While he did not identify specific organisations or countries, the minister suggested that opposition to certain strategic projects cannot always be understood solely through domestic political or environmental debates.
“The world is very complicated,” he remarked, arguing that global competition today extends far beyond traditional diplomacy and military affairs.
According to Rijiju, governments and businesses increasingly make decisions based on strategic interests rather than immediate commercial returns. He cited international trade and energy transactions as examples, saying that countries often evaluate geopolitical considerations before entering economic partnerships.
“Every decision is strategic,” he said, contending that infrastructure projects located in geopolitically sensitive regions must be assessed through the lens of national interest, security and long-term economic resilience.
The minister also expressed disappointment that the Great Nicobar project had become a subject of political contestation. He argued that public discourse should focus on understanding the broader significance of such initiatives rather than reducing them to partisan debates.
His comments come amid ongoing discussions surrounding the Great Nicobar project, which includes plans for an international container transshipment port, airport, township and supporting infrastructure. Supporters view the project as a strategic opportunity to strengthen India’s presence near the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest maritime trade corridors, while critics have raised concerns about its environmental and ecological impact.
Rijiju’s remarks reflect a growing emphasis within government circles on the strategic dimensions of infrastructure development, particularly in frontier regions such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
At the summit, he repeatedly stressed that the islands occupy a critical position in the emerging Indo-Pacific order and that decisions taken today could shape India’s economic and security interests for decades to come.
His intervention added a geopolitical dimension to the broader discussions at the summit, which focused on tourism, infrastructure, connectivity, sustainability and the future role of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India’s growth story.
