Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 31 December 2023
As the curtains fall on 2023 and dawn breaks on a new year, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands stand poised on the brink of a transformational era. The year 2024 is poised to mark the inception of a developmental leap for the archipelago, driven by the grand vision of the Great Nicobar Islands Transshipment Port.
The ambitious agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, promises to usher in an era of unprecedented progress for the denizens of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
At the helm of this monumental undertaking is the INR 72,000 Crores Great Nicobar Island Development Project, poised to generate millions of direct and indirect employment opportunities and a multitude of ancillary prospects.
Central to this initiative is the Transshipment Port at Great Nicobar, estimated to require an investment of approximately INR 44,000 Crores. The project will be executed in multiple phases, with the initial phase, estimated at INR 19,000 Crores, encompassing critical elements like breakwaters, dredging, berths, storage infrastructure, equipment procurement, and the establishment of a port colony. Plans are underway to operationalise Phase 1 by 2028.
An official from the Government disclosed, “We are in the final stages of drafting the detailed project report (DPR) for the ICTP project. Once it receives cabinet approval, tenders will be invited for the construction of the initial phase,” in a statement to a prominent media outlet back in November 2023.
Anticipation abounds within the realm of news, hinting that the Government is poised to announce the construction phase of the project early next year, post the cabinet approval.
With a targeted operational capacity of 4 Million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit containers) by 2028 for Phase 1, the port’s final phase, anticipated to conclude in 2058, envisions a staggering capacity of 16 Million TEUs.
However, for the inhabitants to leverage this transformational opportunity, the pivotal step lies in identifying the requisite human resources and aligning skillsets to meet the impending demands.
The Great Nicobar Island Development Project holds the promise of reshaping the socio-economic landscape of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, offering a vista of opportunities for its populace to thrive in the forthcoming years.