Sri Vijaya Puram | January 04, 2026
Tarun Karthick
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, once considered a region that consumed national resources, are on course to become a major contributor to India’s treasury in the coming decade. Addressing a large public gathering at Netaji Stadium in Sri Vijaya Puram, Shah expressed confidence that the islands would play a significant role in strengthening the country’s economic, strategic and maritime capabilities.
Speaking at the beginning of the new year during his visit to the islands, the Home Minister described Andaman and Nicobar as a sacred land of India’s freedom struggle. He recalled the sacrifices of countless freedom fighters who were imprisoned, tortured and executed at the Cellular Jail, noting that their suffering strengthened the independence movement at a time when their voices could not reach the nation or the world. He said that today, the Veer Savarkar memorial and the eternal flame at the Cellular Jail stand as powerful reminders of the sacrifices made by thousands of martyrs on the islands.
Amit Shah highlighted the historic significance of the islands where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose hoisted the tricolour on Indian soil in December 1943. He said that in honour of Netaji’s legacy and ideals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi renamed some islands as Shaheed, Swaraj and Subhas, and dedicated individual islands to the memory of freedom fighters.
Referring to the transformation of the islands over the past decade, Shah said that Andaman and Nicobar, earlier viewed as a remote and difficult region, has been converted into a place of strategic importance and national strength under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stated that the islands, once seen primarily as an expense to the national exchequer, would in the next ten years become a strong contributor to India’s treasury.
He attributed this change to the commitment of the Bharatiya Janata Party to treat every inch of the country as sacred and to ensure balanced development across all regions. As part of this transformation, Shah said that nine major development projects were inaugurated and two foundation stones laid on the same day, amounting to development works worth ₹373 crore for the islands.
Among the key projects inaugurated were a ₹229 crore Integrated Command and Control Centre, envisioned to provide advanced security and surveillance comparable to that of developed cities, Phase-I of the District Hospital built at a cost of ₹33 crore, and a Forensic Science Laboratory. Additionally, six other projects worth ₹50 crore were inaugurated. Shah also laid the foundation stone for a ₹28 crore ICU and Critical Care Centre at Garacharma hospital and announced the construction of roads in Campbell Bay under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana at a cost of ₹30 crore.
The Home Minister said that these initiatives marked the beginning of a new chapter in the development of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He also inaugurated an exhibition showcasing the new criminal justice laws that replace colonial-era legislation. Shah said the new laws aim to uphold the dignity and rights of citizens, ensure timely justice, and integrate technology into the legal framework, enabling cases to move from sessions courts to the Supreme Court within a defined timeframe. He urged citizens, lawyers, students and women in particular to visit the exhibition to understand the upcoming changes in the criminal justice system.
Highlighting broader national reforms, Shah said the Prime Minister has launched a campaign to eliminate symbols of colonial rule, leading to the renaming of Port Blair as Sri Vijaya Puram and naming islands after national heroes. He said the Andaman and Nicobar Islands today serve as a living laboratory of India’s sovereignty, maritime power and economic activity, with immense strategic importance in the Indo-Pacific region.
He pointed to the vast potential of the blue economy, tourism, fisheries, agriculture, MSMEs and clean energy in the islands. Shah said development is being pursued without compromising heritage, environmental protection or security. He also spoke about the upcoming Great Nicobar project, stating that once completed, it would position the islands as a major global trade hub and a key centre of strategic security, and would make the region one of the world’s leading tourist destinations within a decade.
The Home Minister noted steps taken to promote adventure and scuba tourism in line with ISO standards, opening of North Cinque Island and Barren Island for tourists, and large-scale plantation drives under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” initiative, under which 24 lakh saplings have been planted. He also commended the Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Council for achieving 98 per cent door-to-door waste collection under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Speaking on India’s overall economic progress, Shah said the country has risen from the 11th to the fourth largest economy in the world under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership and expressed confidence that India would soon become the third largest economy. He said India is emerging as a global manufacturing hub while strengthening security and reviving its cultural and historical heritage across sectors such as education, sports, research, agriculture and the blue economy.
Concluding his address, Mr. Amit Shah reiterated the government’s commitment to the holistic development of the islands and to achieving the national goal of making India a fully developed nation by 2047. He congratulated the people of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on the inauguration of multiple development projects at the start of the year and called upon citizens to contribute to building a self-reliant and prosperous India.
