NEW DELHI — India is pressing forward with an estimated $10 billion infrastructure project on Great Nicobar Island, located near the critical Malacca Strait. The massive development is garnering fresh attention as New Delhi prioritizes its Indo-Pacific maritime and trade ambitions, actively expanding its strategic and logistical footprint on the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean despite known ecological risks.

The broader Andaman and Nicobar archipelago has long served as a vital maritime outpost for the country. Underscoring this defense presence, the Indian Navy vessel INS Kesari notably arrived at the naval base in the territory’s capital of Port Blair in 2014.