Government declares Great Nicobar Island container transhipment port as major port

Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal informed the Rajya Sabha that the International Container Transhipment Port at Galathea Bay, Great Nicobar Island, has been officially notified as a major port.

Planned as a transshipment hub with a handling capacity of 16 million TEUs annually, the project will be developed in four phases at an estimated cost of ₹43,796 crore, Sonowal said in response to a question by Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh on the number of major ports built or commissioned in the past five years and their budgets and expenditures.

The port forms part of the larger Great Nicobar Holistic Development project, which also includes an international airport, a power plant and a township, with an overall estimated cost of ₹81,800 crore. Media reports have flagged environmental concerns over the development, as the Nicobar Islands are part of the Sundaland Biodiversity Hotspot.

In August, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav stated that “exemplary mitigation measures” have been built into the Great Nicobar project to minimise environmental impact while balancing “strategic, national and defence interests.”

Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal told the Rajya Sabha that no new major port has been constructed or commissioned over the past five years. However, the government has approved the development of a deep-sea port at Vadhvan in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, with a container handling capacity of 23.2 million TEUs per year and an estimated cost of ₹76,220 crore. Phase I of the project is expected to be completed by 2030.

Responding to another query, Sonowal highlighted that the $20‑billion investment in maritime infrastructure, including Vadhvan Port, will significantly cut India’s dependence on foreign transshipment hubs, reduce transportation costs, and improve trade competitiveness by handling Ultra Large Container Vessels.

He added that the port will play a pivotal role in the India‑Middle East‑Europe Economic Corridor while also integrating with strategic routes like the International North‑South Transport Corridor, boosting India’s trade growth and regional influence.