India, Oct. 16 -- In the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a quasi-government agency called the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO). Established in 1988 under the Companies Act "to develop and commercially exploit natural resources for the balanced and environment-friendly development of the territory," its main activities include trading petroleum products, India-made foreign liquor, and milk, managing tourism resorts, and infrastructure development for tourism and fisheries. Its average annual turnover and profit over the last three financial years has been Rs.370 crore and Rs.35 crore, respectively.

In August 2020, this little-known entity saw a striking makeover - an expansion of portfolio, capacity,...