Threat Perspective – String of Pearls
The phrase “String of Pearls” was coined by U.S. analysts in 2004 to describe a geopolitical theory of China’s strategy to establish a network of commercial and potential military facilities and ports across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The primary goal is to secure China’s energy supply routes from the Middle East and enhance its maritime influence, potentially encircling India. These strategic locations include ports such as Gwadar in Pakistan, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar.
The holistic threat perspective includes:
- China’s so-called “String of Pearls” strategy?
- Foreign high-sea fishing trawlers exploiting resources in the EEZ of A & N Islands? Recently, on January 29, 2026, nine poachers were apprehended near Narcondam Island for illegally harvesting marine resources. In November 2025, six foreign poachers were arrested after a week-long jungle hunt in the islands.
- Alien poachers are harvesting coconuts on uninhabited islands. The coconut is one of the main plants found in the A & N Islands, and the islands celebrate the “Coconut Festival.”
Are there creative and constructive policies and strategies to counter such threats?
Strategic Significance
The Great Nicobar Island is located about 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) east of India’s mainland, close to Indonesia’s Sumatra, and only a few hundred kilometers from Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia. Banda Aceh in Indonesia is at a distance of just about 80 nautical miles. Surely, Great Nicobar Island holds the key to effectively policing the gateway to the Strait of Malacca.
The main international sea lane — the Six Degree Channel — passes South-West of the Island through which major sea lanes from the Cape of Good Hope, the Gulf of Aden, and the Straits of Hormuz converge before entering the Strait of Malacca.
A significant volume of Chinese commercial and naval traffic passes through this corridor daily, 80% of its oil. China has also been maintaining maritime surveillance in the region through its vessels.
Quite apparently, India holds a strategic advantage in the Six Degree Channel, south of Great Nicobar, which could prove decisive in any confrontation with China on the land frontiers. Militarily, Great Nicobar Island is highly significant. There may be no need for an aircraft carrier to ensure security in the region. Shore-based UCAVs, UUAVs, surface-to-ship missiles, fighter aircraft, submarines, underwater anti-submarine nets, and mines can be deployed on the island and employed effectively. — building a network of military and commercial bases and ports across the Indian Ocean Region.
Economic Security Interests
The economic rationale, long rooted in history, is once again becoming relevant in the modern context, where it aligns with broader strategic considerations. Rare Earth Elements (REE), along with potential oil and gas resources, hold significant economic and strategic value for the country.
According to a 2020 study, reconnaissance surveys by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) found significant concentrations of rare earth elements such as neodymium and cerium in crust and nodule samples from the West Sewell Ridge (WSR) and Sewell Rise (SR). Total rare earth element concentrations varied between 158 ppm and 1,899 ppm in the SR, with cerium recording the highest concentration among the REEs.
Both ridges showed high cobalt enrichment, with levels ranging from 899–2,580 ppm in the WSR and 1,444–2,168 ppm in the SR. Extremely high nickel concentrations were also detected, varying between 2,072–4,870 ppm in the WSR and 3,370–7,860 ppm in the SR.
In 2023, the Marine and Coastal Survey Division of the GSI reported that these vital resources were located in the West Sewell Ridge (WSR) seamounts and Sewell Rise (SR) seamounts — north of the Andaman Back-Arc Spreading Centre — at depths ranging from 600 to 1,300 meters. Additionally, crusts and nodules were found at depths of 1,200–1,500 meters along the flanks of reefs and small seamounts in the northern region of the Lakshadweep Ridge System.
The discovery of these ‘treasure troves’ in the Andaman Sea is significant for India. As the country’s energy transition gains momentum, its economy expands, and its aspirations to become a global semiconductor and defence manufacturing hub accelerate, the demand for such critical minerals will rise sharply. The Centre for Social and Economic Progress, in a detailed study, projected that by 2047 India’s total cobalt demand could reach approximately 5,914 tonnes, nickel 26,203 tonnes, and copper 368,143 tonnes.
India has also undertaken its first-ever allocation of offshore critical mineral blocks. A total of 13 blocks were put up for bidding, marking a significant step in India’s mineral development sector — seven of these 13 blocks lie off the coast of Great Nicobar Island.
Colonization of Islands -Population Settlement/Migration Policies
Yet another issue that needs to be squarely addressed is the Colonization of A & N Islands. The archipelago is officially comprised of 836 islands, islets, and rocky outcrops. Older or more general sources often cite a total of 572 islands, focusing on the primary island structures rather than every minor islet or rock. Only 31 islands are permanently inhabited, according to the latest official government profiles. Some tourist and educational sources provide a broader figure of 37 to 38 inhabited islands.
Surely, it calls for the formulation of appropriate population settlement/migration policies to ensure colonization of the maximum number of uninhabited islands in pursuit of advancing national security interests. After all, the EEZ economic resources are advantageously exploited when the islands are inhabited by people. Also, native marine fishing trawlers serve as the “Eyes and Ears” in the EEZ for the A & N Maritime Command.
Overview
Viewed in a holistic security perspective, the time-bound execution of the Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Project is of utmost strategic significance when considered from national security interests: military and economic interests. (To be concluded)
