Guarding India's Maritime Borders: The Geopolitical Role of Andaman and Nicobar Islands

When one thinks of India's territorial borders, the first pictures that come to our minds are the towering Himalayas or the vast deserts of Rajasthan. But a long way off from the mainland, in the blue depths of the Bay of Bengal, there are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands - a cluster of islands that represent India’s maritime frontier, surrounded by international sea lanes, territorial waters and strategic interests. These islands are not only tourist destinations, but also geopolitical goldmines, the first line in the Indian Ocean chess game, anchoring India’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a cluster of 572 islands, situated about 1,200 km southeast of mainland India. Though they are mostly uninhabited (only 37 are inhabited), few of them carry immense strategic and military importance. In terms of location, they sit at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, along with the Malacca Strait, one of the most significant maritime chokepoints in the world.

Various maritime neighbours encircle the islands. The southeast of the Nicobar Islands is Indonesia, mainly Sumatra and the Aceh Province. India shares its maritime boundary with Indonesia, formalized through an agreement in 1974. The proximity to the Malacca Strait (the longest and largest strait in the world), a narrow channel between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, is the biggest highlight. The strait carries nearly 40% of global trade and 80% of Japan and China’s energy imports. To the east of the Andaman Sea, India has maritime boundaries with Thailand. The oceanic zone between the Nicobar Islands and the south of Thailand, which covers Phuket, is a very important area for the two countries in terms of cooperation in the field of security and trade. India furthermore has maritime borders with Myanmar to the north and northeast of the Andaman Sea. The waters are very important for India’s Act East Policy, and cross-border energy and connectivity projects such as the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project.

The strategic importance of the area is beyond doubt. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are located just north of the Malacca Strait, which is the most active shipping lane in the world. Whoever is in control of this region has a strategic advantage over maritime trade and military mobility in the Indo-Pacific. Secondly, India has been consistently strengthening the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) - India’s only tri-service command (based at Port Blair), i.e., the one that unites the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This, in turn, enables India to keep an eye on Chinese naval operations in the Indian Ocean. The islands facilitate the employment of drones, aviation for sightseeing, underwater surveys, and indeed, the hunting of submarines. Thirdly, the islands provide an opportunity for India to be nearer to Southeast Asian nations such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The nearness not only strengthens India’s Look East / Act East Policy but also serves as an important interface for regional cooperation.

The region is also central to larger cooperative frameworks. The QUAD, officially known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (comprising India, Japan, the U.S. and Australia), is particularly interested in the Andaman & Nicobar region, supporting maritime security, freedom of navigation, infrastructure development, and resilience against coercive actions, especially by China. India also engages with BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) to promote regional integration, disaster response and security in the Bay of Bengal.

Though it is strategically important, the region faces a number of challenges that make it vulnerable. The Chinese Navy has significantly increased its presence in the Indian Ocean, which also includes reported submarine patrols close to Indian waters. The porous coastline additionally makes it quite easy for the area to be vulnerable to piracy, smuggling and illegal fishing. On top of that, the islands are open to occurrences like natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami catastrophe. These dangers definitely indicate that India and its partners need to work together in developing sustainable and resilient infrastructure on these islands to be able to tackle both the man-made and natural threats. India is gradually turning the Andaman and Nicobar Islands into a smart strategic hub. Work has started on constructing a transshipment port at Great Nicobar, and a project is being undertaken to convert dual-use civil-military infrastructure as well as broaden undersea cable connectivity and green energy projects.

These developments are intended to empower the islands not only as bases but also as dynamic facilitators of the regional economic and security network. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands may be far from the mainland of India, but they are the very heart of its maritime destiny. These islands are surrounded by countries like Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand, and are located right next to one of the world's busiest sea lanes. This makes them India's first line of defense in the Indo-Pacific region. Also, with Japan and other like-minded partners who are ready to provide strategic support, the area is set to become a lamp of stability, security and friendship in the waters that link Asia with the world.

Kaveri Jain