New Delhi: India has officially commenced groundwork for a second airfield on Great Nicobar Island, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to strengthen its strategic infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region. Positioned near the Strait of Malacca — one of the world’s most crucial maritime arteries — this development underscores New Delhi’s focus on bolstering defence readiness and surveillance capabilities along key sea lanes that link China and the Far East.
Background of Second Nicobar Airfield
Great Nicobar Island is the southernmost territory of India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a strategically vital archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. The island sits near the Strait of Malacca, a narrow maritime corridor through which nearly one-quarter of global trade transits, making it central to international shipping, commerce, and regional security dynamics.
India already operates a naval airbase — INS Baaz — at Campbell Bay on Great Nicobar Island. INS Baaz plays a crucial role in maritime surveillance and monitoring activities across the region and particularly in the Six-Degree Channel between Great Nicobar and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Second Nicobar Airfield Project: What’s Being Built
The new airfield is planned at Chingen, adjoining Galathea Bay on Great Nicobar Island. This location places it even closer to the Strait of Malacca than the existing INS Baaz, enhancing India’s ability to track and respond to naval activities in the region.
The project, estimated at ₹8,573 crore, is being developed as a dual-use greenfield airfield by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). While the primary aim is to strengthen national defence, the facility will also cater to civilian aviation, reinforcing connectivity in India’s island territories.
2. Civil-Military Integration
Experts describe the forthcoming airfield as a dual-use facility, similar to existing airports in Chandigarh, Goa (Dabolim), Pune, Leh, and Port Blair. Civilian operations will coexist with military functions, enabling deployment of naval aircraft, UAVs, and Indian Air Force assets as required.
Bids are currently open for project management consultants to oversee the construction and development components of the airfield, with the tender process scheduled to close on December 26, 2025.
Strategic Rationale: Countering Regional Challenges
1. Monitoring the Malacca Strait
The Malacca Strait is vital to India’s security calculus. With more than 96,000 vessels transiting annually, including a large number tied to Chinese commerce and naval logistics, India’s placement of air and naval assets near this choke point is seen as a strategic imperative.
The second airfield will enable quicker aerial surveillance, faster response times, and increased logistical reach — complementing existing Indian military infrastructure in the Indian Ocean region.
2. Indo-Pacific Defence Posture
India’s defence planners have repeatedly emphasized the need to maintain a robust presence in the Indo-Pacific, amid China’s growing naval activity and influence across the region.
Enhanced airfield capability on Great Nicobar will significantly improve India’s ability to operate long-range patrol aircraft, support naval operations, and participate in joint security missions with allied nations.
The dual-use airfield also aligns with the broader Great Nicobar Island Development Project, which encompasses a transshipment port, upgraded connectivity, and eco-sensitive planning for economic growth and strategic strength.
Environmental and Local Concerns
While the strategic benefits are widely recognized, large-scale infrastructure development in Great Nicobar has drawn scrutiny from environmentalists and advocates for indigenous communities.
Previous proposals for major port, power, and industrial projects in the region raised concerns about the impact on local ecosystems and tribal populations. Although the new airfield is primarily a defence initiative, it exists within the broader context of environmental sensitivities that future policymakers will need to address responsibly.
Implications of Second Nicobar Airfield for Regional Geopolitics
India’s choice to expand military and dual-use infrastructure on Great Nicobar Island reflects its broader goal of shaping a secure maritime environment in the Indian Ocean, especially near strategic straits like Malacca and Lombok.
This positioning enhances New Delhi’s role as a security provider in the Indo-Pacific and strengthens deterrence against potential aggressive manoeuvres by rival powers.
The initiative also reinforces India’s partnerships with other maritime democracies and stakeholders who share interests in safeguarding open sea lanes and upholding freedom of navigation across the region.
