India's Overseas Evacuation Operations
India has a well-established framework for evacuating and repatriating citizens caught in foreign crises. The largest such operation in recent history was Vande Bharat Mission (2020), launched during COVID-19 travel restrictions, which repatriated over 2.1 million Indians from 93 countries, coordinated jointly by the Ministries of External Affairs, Home Affairs, and Civil Aviation. Earlier precedents include Operation Ganga (2022, Ukraine) and Operation Dost (2023, Turkey earthquake). The MEA's Consular Services Division oversees distress assistance abroad, and the Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) facilitates return of stranded nationals without valid passports.
- Vande Bharat Mission involved Air India and Air India Express in its first three phases; private airlines were included from Phase 4 onward.
- The MEA operates the 24-hour helpline +91-11-23012113 and a dedicated Consular Services portal.
- India's e-Migrate system tracks registered migrant workers in Gulf countries, providing baseline data for crisis response.
● Tracked since March 04, 2026 · last seen March 19, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes