India can do whatever it want but..
..Lakshadweep will NOT replace Maldives in 2024π
Why? Learn in 4 pointsππΌ
1. Geography
a) Male has an airport, Lakshadweep has an aerodrome
b) It is not JUST aerodrome issue
β’ 'Touristy' resorts are <200km from Male
β’ Minicoy, most populated island of Lakshadweep is 300km from Agatti
Worse? Check flights from BLR!ππΌ
2. First mover advantage
β’ Maldives = 10x (Lakshadweep) [in size]
β’ Stats π€―ππ»
How?
Infra spending & direct flights from 60 global cities
3. Islamic radicalization
β’ Steady radicalization, pro-fundamentalism
β’ Maldives sends most people per capita to fight for ISIS
β’ 'India is adversary' agenda furthered w/ 'Hindu' govt. in Delhi
4. China angle
β’ Invested in more 'visible' places:ππ»
Politicians, Propaganda, Infra
β’ Subsidized state carrier flights to Male
β’ India Out funded by dragon hands in glove with Islamists!
So CSEWhy, there's no solution?π―ππ»
Before I share solution, here are some numbers:
β’ Maldives GDP: $6bn; trade w/ India: $1bn
β’ Indians account for most tourists to π²π»
Now, What shall India do to develop Lakshadweep?
1. Airport
β’ Reclaim land to build infra (Mumbai reclamation type model)
β’ Enable direct flights from the global & Indian cities
Goal is not to bring more foreigners alone but also Indians!
2. Infrastructure
β’ Lakshadweep is already Instagram-able, bring Maldives like infra!
β’ Develop connectivity, optics fibre & adventure sports
β’ Seaplanes from Kerala
3. Ease of Travel
β’ Explore visa availability for Lakshadweep only (away from mainland)
β’ Direct flights for Indians from the mainland
4. Travel-Circuit
β’ Develop Kerala-Lakshadweep circuit
β’ Seaplane shall play crucial game here
β’ Can also do Goa-Gokarna-Lakshadweep circuit
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