Sabang port project signals deeper maritime ties between India and Indonesia

Jakarta/New Delhi, Aug 29 (IANS) India’s interest in Indonesia’s Sabang port has been evident since the 2018 “Shared Vision of India-Indonesia on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific”, which envisaged stronger connectivity between the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Sumatra, a report has stated.

The initiative led to the formation of joint task forces, feasibility discussions and proposals for a Sabang-Port Blair connection, although most of the plans have yet to translate into commercial operations.

Situated at a strategically important location, Sabang port strengthens the maritime link between India and Indonesia, according to a report in the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).

“India’s interest in developing Sabang port in northern Sumatra is often interpreted as a response to China’s expanding maritime presence in the Indian Ocean. This does not capture India’s more immediate priorities. Sabang will acquire strategic weight only if it first succeeds as a commercial, locally beneficial, Indonesian-led project. It is not an Indian base-in-waiting,” the report mentioned.

“During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s July visit to Jakarta, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto welcomed India’s interest in the integrated development of Sabang port. Its location at the northern tip of Sumatra, across the Andaman Sea from India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, invites speculation about naval access, but the project’s more immediate promise is the creation of a maritime corridor that supports trade, local development and regular cooperation,” it added.

The report noted that the July joint statement issued by India and Indonesia gives the project greater substance, identifying cruise and marine tourism, ship repair, shipbuilding and shore-based services for offshore energy activities. It also directed officials to clarify the project’s scope, financing and development phases.

“For India, the Sabang project is an opportunity to explore the economic potential of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The islands are not merely a security asset but a platform for transhipment, tourism and regional engagement, developed through the Great Nicobar Project. Sabang can boost the islands’ commercial links with Indonesia along a Sabang-Port Blair corridor that supports passenger and cargo services, repair contracts, offshore-energy activity and skills exchanges, as well as greater movement of people and goods across the Andaman Sea,” the ASPI report detailed.

“For Indonesia, Sabang could attract investment, technology and employment to Aceh, strengthen maritime industries and reinforce Indonesia’s role as the gateway between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The project needs to be visibly Indonesian-led, consistent with national regulations and tied to local economic priorities, rather than presented as infrastructure that primarily benefits another country,” it stated.

According to the report, Sabang should not be viewed as India’s answer to China’s ‘String of Pearls’, or a “prospective Indian base”. It stated that the agreement makes no provision for permanent operational access or a standing security presence, while Indonesia’s long-guarded sovereignty makes such an arrangement unlikely.

“India’s objective is more modest and realistic – to improve maritime awareness, build logistical familiarity and deepen cooperation with regional partners in the eastern Indian Ocean. Sabang fits a strategy of presence through partnership rather than dominance through access,” it stressed.

–IANS

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