Wednesday 22 / July / 2026
Jakarta : In a significant move to bolster regional maritime infrastructure, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has welcomed India's interest in partnering on the integrated development of the Sabang Port.
According to the joint statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs following the bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indonesian President, this flagship project is expected to cover cruise and marine-tourism facilities, maritime industries like shipbuilding and ship-repair, and shore-based services that support offshore energy activities in the Andaman Sea.
Both leaders noted that this partnership will foster institutional, physical, and digital connectivity, facilitating the flow of people and commodities between India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Sumatra Island while driving employment and shared regional prosperity.
Authorities from both nations have been encouraged to work out the scope, modalities, and financing of the project in a time-bound and mutually beneficial manner.
Located in the same maritime neighborhood, Sabang can either be viewed as a competing outpost or as a complementary development supporting the Great Nicobar Project.
Indonesian analysts opine that Sabang has greater relevance precisely because of India’s plans for Great Nicobar. The idea of collaborative maritime governance across both approaches to the Strait of Malacca could well reflect the maritime vision that India and Indonesia shared in 2018, when the Sabang project was first highlighted.
If Sabang is developed, significant opportunities could emerge for the region. International investment in the port would be consistent with Indonesia’s efforts to improve connectivity across its vast archipelago.
Indonesia remains resistant to foreign military bases. Accordingly, Sabang has never been offered as a naval base. Instead, Jakarta wishes India to invest in the port’s commercial development so that the region derives economic benefits. Indonesia also believes that, having already permitted Chinese participation in the development and operation of other ports in Sumatra, an Indian role in Sabang would contribute to its strategic autonomy.
India understands and respects this Indonesian approach. However, despite two meetings of the Joint Task Force and a Detailed Project Report, there have been few concrete takers for investment in Sabang. Investment in port infrastructure, coastal connectivity, HADR facilities and maritime services could strengthen regional resilience without becoming part of superpower rivalry. The question remains: who will bear the cost?
Sabang has the potential to become an important logistics node supporting commercial shipping through maintenance facilities, storage capacity and emergency diversion options.
An important question frequently raised is this: if India is already investing heavily in the Great Nicobar Project, why should it also invest in Sabang, located barely 90 nautical miles away? Is the objective to deny China strategic access, or to create complementary infrastructure that strengthens the utility of Great Nicobar?
India and Indonesia broadly share similar approaches to the Indian Ocean, although their perspectives on Sabang differ. India sees Sabang as a facility that could complement the Great Nicobar Project and would prefer Indonesia, supported by friendly partners, to develop it. Indonesia, however, expects India itself to become a major investor in the port. As the Great Nicobar Project progresses, this difference in expectations will need to be resolved.
The relationship between the Great Nicobar and Sabang projects also requires greater clarity. Some analysts regard them as competitors, while others see them as complementary ports serving different functions.
