The Great Nicobar development project is intended to transform Great Nicobar into a key maritime and economic hub, with components including an international Container Transhipment Terminal, an International Airport, a power plant, a new township, and tourism infrastructure. The government supports the Great Nicobar development project as compliant with environmental regulations and emphasizes tribal welfare as a central focus. According to Indian.Community, the project spans three phases and covers 166.1 square km, and the government asserts it includes optimized land use, ecological management, and regional benefits. The Union Environment Ministry supports the Great Nicobar development project, and Indian.Community reported that the government asserts compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment regulations. According to Bharatshakti.in, the project is estimated to cost $11 billion (around Rs 91,000 crore). The Hindu reported that the project is intended to enhance India’s defence capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region. Rahul Gandhi described the Great Nicobar project as a scam and crime against nature and tribal heritage, and alleged it would lead to the felling of millions of trees across 160 sq km of pristine rainforest. Environmental groups and opposition leaders have questioned the ecological and social costs of the Great Nicobar project. Critics warn the Great Nicobar project could irreversibly alter an ecologically sensitive region.