The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) mega-project is a large-scale, multi-component infrastructure initiative proposed by the Government of India, conceived by NITI Aayog and formally approved by the Union Cabinet in 2021. This project is a strategic and economic development scheme, with an estimated cost of around ₹72,000 crore to ₹92,000 crore.
The project's primary objective is to leverage Great Nicobar's geostrategic location near the Malacca Strait to strengthen India's presence in the Indian Ocean region and reduce reliance on foreign transshipment hubs like Singapore and Colombo. It is a physical manifestation of India's Act East Policy.
The mechanism involves four core components to be developed over a 30-year phased plan: an International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay with a capacity of 14.2 million TEUs, a Greenfield International Airport designed for dual civil and military use, a 450 MVA gas and solar-based power plant, and a new Green Township.
The project connects directly to the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, as the development area is a biodiversity hotspot and a nesting site for species like the endangered Leatherback Turtle. It also connects to the Forest Rights Act, 2006, due to the impact on the indigenous Shompen (a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) and Nicobarese communities, requiring consultation and safeguards. The project has recently been challenged, but the National Green Tribunal (NGT) approved it in February 2026, imposing stringent environmental conditions. The project involves the diversion of approximately 130 sq km of forest land.