Image Source – Nikkie Asia
In the past 11 years, the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has displayed incredible determination to ensure the safety and well-being of Indian citizens stranded abroad during times of crisis. From war-torn areas to areas ravaged by natural disasters, India has conducted a number of dramatic, high profile evacuation and humanitarian missions, earning world wide attention for its swift and effective responses. This paper looks at 11 major rescue operations between 2015 and 2024, demonstrating both India’s commitment to its diaspora, as well as its emerging presence as a global leader in humanitarianism.
1. Operation Raahat – Yemen (2015)
As a result of a war between Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition, Yemen imploded into chaos in 2015 and India began Operation Raahat. Under a no-fly zone, the Indian Navy and Air Force were able to evacuate 4,700 Indian nationals and 1,947 foreign nationals from 41 countries. The operations were conducted using Indian naval vessels, including the INS Sumitra and Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft from Aden and Djibouti. The evacuation was conducted under extreme conditions to relocate people using these naval ships and air transport. The final stage of the operation was undertaken by then Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh and followed a series of attempts to lead the operation. The complexity of the operations illustrated that it was possible for India to perform evacuations even under hostile conditions.
2. Operation Maitri – Nepal (2015)
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal in April 2015 initiated a response by India in under 15 minutes through Operation Maitri; an expedited joint relief and rescue effort by the armed forces and Indian government evacuated more than 5,000 Indian citizens as well as 170 foreign nationals, including from the US, UK, Russia, and Germany. The Indian Army teams were part of the Government of India mission, and included volunteers from the Gurkha Regiments , as well as private sector delivery of supplies and medications. India hastily reacted to one of its closest neighbors which reflects on their “Neighbourhood First” policy.
3. Operation Sankat Mochan – South Sudan (2016)
In the latter part of 2016, the South Sudanese civil war deepened, with the violent flare-up of hostilities first taking place in Juba. This resulted in the Indian Air Force deploying not one, but two C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft as part of Operation Sankat Mochan for the evacuation of 156 people, consisting of 153 Indian citizens and two citizens of Nepal. With around 600 Indians stranded in South Sudan, the operation overseen by V.K. Singh ensured the safe passage of the Indians, allowing India to be able to showcase its ability to respond to humanitarian crises in parts of the world plagued by humanitarian crises and uncertainty.
4. Operation Samudra Setu – Gulf Region (2020)
With the COVID-19 pandemic paralyzing travel across the world in 2020, India launched
Operation Samudra Setu in order to repatriate its stranded citizens from Gulf nations, Sri
Lanka, and the Maldives. In total, Indian Navy ships including INS Shardul, Jalashwa, Airavat, and Magar travelled over 23000 kilometres by sea over a 55 day period and carried back 3992 Indian citizens. Operation Samudra Setu reflected both India’s competency as a naval power and its commitment to its diaspora during a time when there was turmoil around the globe.
5. Vande Bharat Mission (2020–2021)
The Vande Bharat Mission, which commenced in May 2020, was one of the largest civilian repatriation efforts in history. The stated goal of the mission was to bring back into the country Indians stranded all over the world due to lockdown restrictions on account of COVID-19. By April 2021, through a network of civilian flights, Vande Bharat operated over 2.17 lakh flights, and re-patriated approximately 6 crore passengers (i.e., 60 million!). The operation established unique links with countries who facilitated the operation of the special international flights which were flown in coordination of multiple countries – an impressive logistical achievement that showcased India’s ‘soft power’ and deepened diplomatic relations.
6. Operation Devi Shakti – Afghanistan (2021)
In wake of the Taliban seizure of power in Afghanistan in August 2021, India launched Operation Devi Shakti to move their citizens and partners out of the country. More than 800 individuals were airlifted from Kabul (448 Indians and 206 Afghans in the Hindu and Sikh minorities). Further, India successfully aided the three handwritten versions of the Guru Granth Sahib, which received widespread praise, as the Indian Air Force worked with the US and their other allies to ensure their safe passage. The operation was representative of India’s cultural cognizance and diplomatic nimbleness.
7. Operation Ganga – Ukraine (2022)
The Russian invasion of Ukraine starting in 2022 left thousands of Indian students and professional stranded. Fortunately, Operation Ganga evacuated over 22,500 Indians by using over 90 flights from neighbouring countries such as Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. Several Union Ministers, including Hardeep Puri and Jyotiraditya Scindia were assigned to the operation which also evacuated students from Pakistan and Turkey. Indian negotiations with Russia and Ukraine to find safe corridors of passage was instrumental to the operation’s success.
8. Operation Kaveri – Sudan (2023)
In the month of April 2023, conflict began between the Armed Forces of Sudan and the Rapid
Support Forces, at this time India launched Operation Kaveri. The INS Sumedha of the Indian Navy and a C-130J of the Indian Air Force evacuated roughly 3,800 Indians and 136 foreigners from Port Sudan to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and then onwards to India. This operation, with support from Saudi Arabia, showed India’s growing cooperation with its foreign partners.
9. Operation Dost – Turkey and Syria (2023)
In February 2023, Turkey and Syria were struck by a deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake, after which India took swift action through its Operation Dost. Within twelve hours of the earthquake, teams from the Indian Army were rapidly deployed with specialized search-andrescue personnel, trained medical responders and more than six tons of relief materials. Ultimately, more than 1,000 persons were assisted as part of Operation Dost. Not only did this reaffirm India’s role as a first responder to a global humanitarian crisis, it also reaffirmed its philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family).
10. Operation Ajay – Israel (2023)
The Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023 led to Operation Ajay, to evacuate Indian citizens from the area of conflict. The evacuations were conducted via special flights with over 3,500 Indians being repatriated as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced via X. Operation Ajay demonstrated India’s ability to quickly respond to heightened tensions in the Middle East.
11. Operation Indravati – Myanmar (2024)
In 2024, India undertook Operation Indravati to evacuate almost 2,000 Indian nationals from Myanmar seriously impacted by violence and instability. The operation was conducted skillfully and reiterated that India was ahead of the curve in terms of protecting its diaspora in southeast Asia.
🇮🇳 A New Global Identity
Together, these 11 operations demonstrated India’s operational ability, but also its diplomatic currency, technological infrastructure, and humanitarian spirit. The world now sees India not only as a military and economic power, but as a trustworthy and compassionate partner in considering humanitarian crises. India’s “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or world as one family is no longer an abstraction, but a reality you can see in all of these operations.
