Campbell Bay is the primary settlement and administrative headquarters of Great Nicobar Island, the southernmost and largest island of the Nicobar archipelago in India. Positioned closer to the Indonesian island of Sumatra than to the Indian mainland or even the territorial capital of Port Blair, Campbell Bay is a remote, strategic, and ecologically stunning frontier of India.
The town serves as a crucial staging point for India's defense and maritime operations, home to INS Baaz, the Indian military's southernmost air station. Beyond its strategic value, Campbell Bay is the gateway to the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve, which harbors immense biodiversity, including endemic species like the Nicobar megapode, the crab-eating macaque, and the giant robber crab.
Though a small and quiet settlement, Campbell Bay is culturally diverse, populated by a mix of indigenous communities, Indian military personnel, government officials, and the descendants of mainland ex-servicemen who were settled here in the 1970s. The town is currently at the center of international attention due to the proposed Great Nicobar Development Project, which envisions a massive transshipment port and greenfield airport that could fundamentally transform this tranquil island outpost.