The draft Master Plan 2047 for the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Development Area, which outlines a 25-year roadmap to transform the island into a major logistics, defence and tourism hub, was published and widely reported on April 11, 2026. Prepared under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO), the plan projects a resident population of 3.36 lakh by 2055 and targets over one million annual tourists, placing tourism as the "primary economic driver". Major components include the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay, a greenfield international airport, a township, and a 450 MVA gas- and solar-based power plant. The draft envisions a Singapore/Dubai-style port-linked finance hub, wellness hubs for yoga and Ayurveda and an entertainment/gaming precinct. Development is split into four phases: anchor projects and power infrastructure (2025-2029), tourism build-out (2030-2035), consolidation (2036-2041) and future expansion (2042-2047). The project is criticised by the local Nicobarese and Shompen tribal communities and environmental groups, who cite unsettled forest rights, biodiversity loss in fragile tropical rainforests, disturbance to leatherback turtle nesting sites at Galathea Bay, and vulnerability of the island to seismic and tsunami risks (it sits on the rim of the 2004 earthquake zone). A draft Comprehensive Tribal Welfare Plan proposing ₹42.52 crore for Nicobarese relocation has been circulated separately for consultation. The Great Nicobar project is strategically significant due to its proximity to the Strait of Malacca and the Indo-Pacific shipping lanes.