India is looking to strengthen the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' role as a maritime and economic gateway to the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on securing shipping routes, expanding port connectivity and building resilient supply chains amid disruptions to global trade. The push was outlined at a curtain-raiser event for the Andaman Dialogue 2027, which brought together diplomats, maritime experts, government officials and industry representatives from more than 15 countries to discuss regional economic and security cooperation.