Lakshadweep to Get Rs 4,500 Crore Makeover to Take On Maldives as Top Tourist Destination

New Delhi: To boost tourists flow in the Lakshadweep islands, the island of archipelago is all set to get a breakthrough makeover worth Rs 4,500 crore

Centre has planned several big projects for the island archipelago to make it an alternative to Maldives. The decision comes after a diplomatic row erupted between India and Maldives after some deputy minister of the island nation made derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India. The comments acme in the aftermath of PM's visit to Lakshadweep in January. 

According to the news agency, the government is placing more of an emphasis on infrastructure development in an effort to increase tourism to the islands. As a result, L&T has been awarded a ₹4,500 crore contract to expand the runway at Agatti airport to 2,800 meters. In addition to Agatti, Minicoy Island, which is adjacent to the Maldives, is to have a Greenfield airport built by the government.

According to the agency, Fly19 and Spice Jet have already received the required approvals from the authorities to operate flights to Agatti Island. On Wednesday, Indigo also met with the island's administration and expressed interest in launching flights there. It is Fly19's goal to start operating by the end of this month.

Suheli, Minicoy, and Kadmat are the three islands where the Tata Group has already proposed three sizable Taj resorts. Suheli and Kadmat are the two that have already received district administration approval. The first-ever lagoon villas in India, as well as land villas, will be constructed by Taj Hotels and Resorts. There will be more than 100 rooms in each of these properties.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Culture and Tourism G. Kishan Reddy on Monday informed that The Ministry of Tourism has revamped the Swadesh Darshan Scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD 2.0) with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible tourism destinations, following a destination and tourism-centric approach and has notified 57 destinations in the country including Lakshadweep for development under SD 2.0. 

It aspires to "position Lakshadweep as a model" for responsible and inclusive development, balancing economic progress with environmental conservation, the minister said.

The overall strategy for the development of Lakshadweep islands is based on achieving sustainable growth, preserving the unique cultural and environmental characteristics, and enhancing the quality of life for the islanders, the government informed Parliament on Thursday, he stated. includes leveraging the islands' natural beauty to promote tourism, creating a robust and resilient economy, and fostering a sense of pride and well-being among the local communities, he added. (With inputs from PTI)