India, May 31 -- Great Nicobar's defenders argue strategic necessity outweighs ecological, commercial and geopolitical criticisms surrounding the mega-project.

Infrastructure projects that have great strategic significance for a country are often intensely scrutinised and even criticised. And few recent projects have seen more criticism (and support in equal measure) than the Great Nicobar Project.

Therefore, it is critical to address all the criticism which this essay aims to do.

There is a familiar pattern in the history of strategic infrastructure. When the United States began dredging Pearl Harbor in 1901, critics called it a costly indulgence on a distant island. When Dubai announced the Jebel Ali Free Zone in 1985, analysts dismi...