{"id":19606,"date":"2026-02-17T13:21:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T07:51:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=19606"},"modified":"2026-02-17T13:21:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T07:51:31","slug":"beyond-battlefield-indian-armed-forces-in-humanitarian-assistance-and-disaster-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/?p=19606","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Battlefield: Indian Armed Forces in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Beyond Battlefield: Indian Armed Forces in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Posted On: 15 FEB 2026 11:32AM by PIB Delhi<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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  • Indian Armed Forces, while safeguarding India\u2019s sovereignty and borders, also act as first responders and enablers of national resilience through humanitarian, medical and disaster relief support.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  • The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was a watershed moment for India\u2019s HADR framework because the disaster\u2019s scale and reach demanded an unprecedented, coordinated tri-services response. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard deployed extensive manpower, equipment, and logistics across land, sea, and air.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  • 3,992\u00a0Indians were repatriated by sea over 55 days under\u00a0Operation Samudra Setu during Covid-19, pandemic.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  • In 2025, the Indian Army deployed\u00a0141 columns across 80+ locations in ten states, rescuing\u00a028,293 civilians, providing\u00a0medical aid to 7,318 people, and delivering\u00a0relief assistance to 2,617 individuals.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Under\u00a0Operation Brahma in March 2025, a 60-bed\u00a0 Indian Army field hospital in Myanmar treated over 2,500 injured earthquake victims within two weeks; six aircraft, five Indian Naval ships delivered 750 MT of HADR material<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  • Operation Sagar Bandhu was undertaken following Cyclone Ditwah in 2025, to restore\u00a0connectivity in Sri Lanka, evacuate over 2,500\u00a0people\u00a0and delivered\u00a01,058 tonnes of relief material while IAF evacuated 264 survivors including foreign nationals.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n

    Introduction<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations are a vital part of India\u2019s global engagement. As natural and man-made disasters become more frequent and severe, India draws on its extensive disaster management experience to provide timely, coordinated, and well-organized assistance internally and to affected countries. The ability to work in hostile environment, organizational skills and logistics know-hows make the armed forces most suited for HADR operations, and they are often the first responders in the event of any disaster. The objective of HADR is ensuring a\u00a0\u201cprompt, efficient, coordinated, and responsive\u201d\u00a0reaction when disasters overwhelm civilian capacities. The Government of India often deploys the Armed Forces to augment national and international relief efforts when civilian capacities are stretched.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    India\u2019s humanitarian aid and disaster relief to our partner countries is\u00a0focused on providing timely assistance to save lives, alleviate suffering, maintain and protect human dignity during and post disaster.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    The\u00a0Indian Army\u00a0undertakes the deployment of troops for rescue and relief, establishment of field hospitals, restoration of essential infrastructure, and delivery of humanitarian aid. The\u00a0Indian Navy\u00a0plays a critical role through evacuation of Indian nationals from abroad, transportation of relief material, and deployment of ships and helicopters for maritime and littoral assistance. The\u00a0Indian Air Force\u00a0provides strategic and tactical airlift by ferrying relief supplies, medical teams, and disaster response personnel to affected areas, while also undertaking evacuation and rescue missions. Complementing these efforts, the\u00a0Indian Coast Guard\u00a0assists during cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, oil platform fires, and flooding in coastal regions, ensuring rapid response and maritime safety.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Genesis, Policy & Institutional Framework<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    India\u2019s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) posture is anchored in a\u00a0robust policy and institutional architecture\u00a0that enables coordinated, timely, and credible responses to humanitarian crises, both overseas and within the country. While the term HADR is primarily used for\u00a0international engagements, domestic disaster response is governed through a statutory framework, together reflecting a\u00a0whole-of-government approach\u00a0integrating diplomacy, defence, disaster management, and public health capacities.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Policy Framework<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    For\u00a0international HADR operations, India\u2019s approach is guided by the Agenda No. 10 (Bring about greater cohesion in international response to disasters) of\u00a0Hon\u2019ble PM\u2019s 10-point agenda on Disaster Risk reduction. \u00a0NDMA\u2019s has also issued International\u00a0HADR Guidelines (October 2024). These guidelines institutionalise overseas disaster response and are grounded in key principles, including respect for the\u00a0sovereignty and territorial integrity\u00a0of affected states, adherence to\u00a0international humanitarian law and human rights standards, and commitments to\u00a0transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct. The guidelines also implicitly align with the\u00a0UNDRR Gender Action Plan (2024), reinforcing inclusivity in humanitarian action. Importantly, they formally recognise the\u00a0Indian Armed Forces as pivotal enablers of rapid response, mandating their role in strategic lift, logistics, medical support, evacuation, and engineering tasks, with increasing emphasis on\u00a0technology integration, such as drones and AI-enabled forecasting.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Domestically, national disaster response is governed by the\u00a0Disaster Management Act, 2005, which establishes a\u00a0three-tier institutional framework\u00a0at the national, state, and district levels through the NDMA, SDMAs, and UDMAs\/DDMAs. In India\u2019s, the\u00a0primary responsibility for disaster response rests with State Governments, while the\u00a0Central Government plays a supportive and coordinating role, providing financial, logistical, and technical assistance. At the national level, overall command, control, and coordination during major disasters is overseen by the\u00a0National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC)\u00a0under the Cabinet Secretary, with the\u00a0Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)\u00a0serving as the nodal ministry for disaster response. The\u00a0National Executive Committee (NEC)\u00a0coordinates inter-ministerial actions, while response at the ground level is led by\u00a0District Disaster Management Authorities\u00a0under the District Magistrate, operating through Incident Command Teams (ICTs). The Act also provides legal backing for\u00a0civil\u2013military coordination under the principle of Aid to Civil Authorities.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Key Institutions Involved<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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    • Ministry of External Affairs (MEA):\u00a0The nodal ministry for India\u2019s overseas HADR engagement, responsible for diplomatic coordination, requests from affected states, and international outreach.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Rapid Response Cell (RRC), MEA:\u00a0Established in 2021, initially for COVID-19 coordination, the RRC now functions as a central coordination hub for overseas HADR, liaising with NDMA, NDRF, Armed Forces, Airports Authority of India, and other Union ministries.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA):\u00a0The\u00a024×7 functional Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response (ICR-ER) of MHA, in coordination with NDRF, NDMA and MEA coordinates for HADR activities and coordinates international HADR missions from India in close cooperation with MEA and other stakeholders.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    • \u00a0In coordination with\u00a0MHA and MEA, the NDMA manages central control room operations for HADR activities and coordinates international HADR missions from India in close cooperation with other stakeholders.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD):\u00a0Provide strategic lift, logistics, medical support, engineering capabilities, and rapid deployment assets.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    • National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA):\u00a0The apex policy body that frames guidelines and coordination mechanisms for disaster response, including international HADR.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    • National Disaster Response Force (NDRF):\u00a0Deploys specialised disaster response teams when required.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
    • Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoH&FW):\u00a0Leads medical and public health support in HADR through emergency medical teams, disease surveillance, global coordination, and inclusive healthcare delivery. Coordinates, with World Health Organization and other health agencies for public health management.<\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Together, these institutions and guidelines ensure that India\u2019s HADR responses are structured, swift, and strategically coherent.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      The framework mandates Armed Forces’ role in rapid deployment, with emphasis on tech integration (drones, AI for forecasting). The NDMA\u2019s HADR Guidelines formally recognize the pivotal role of the Indian Armed Forces in disaster relief operations: the\u00a0Army\u00a0may deploy troops and set up field hospitals; the\u00a0Air Force\u00a0is tasked with airlifting relief personnel, medical aid, and evacuating people; the\u00a0Navy\u00a0can use ships for evacuation, transport of relief goods, and its\u00a0Coast Guard\u00a0supports in maritime disasters like cyclones or tsunamis. This approach is aligned with India\u2019s commitments under the\u00a0Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015\u20132030), which emphasises preparedness, resilience, effective response, and coordinated recovery.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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      Domestic Humanitarian Initiatives<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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      The Indian Armed Forces are routinely mobilized for national disaster response, including floods, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides and industrial or transport accidents, and operate as an integral part of the national HADR architecture alongside NDMA, NDRF, State Disaster Response Forces and civil administration. These missions demonstrate the Services\u2019 ability to deploy air, land and sea assets rapidly for rescue, relief, medical assistance, evacuation and restoration of critical infrastructure.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Indian Ocean Tsunami (2004)\u00a0The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was a watershed moment for India\u2019s HADR framework. The sheer scale and wide geographic spread of the catastrophe necessitated an unprecedented, coordinated response. This involved the joint deployment of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, with massive mobilisation of manpower, platforms and logistics across land, sea and air domains. Under\u00a0Operation Seawave, the\u00a0Indian Air Force\u00a0played a pivotal role, launching immediate search-and-rescue missions on\u00a026 December 2004\u00a0with\u00a0Mi-8 helicopters from Carnic airfield. Sustained daily operations in the\u00a0Andaman & Nicobar Islands\u00a0involved\u00a0IL-76, AN-32, HS-748 aircraft and helicopters, enabling large-scale airlift of relief material, evacuation of survivors, and search-and-rescue missions. The operation also extended humanitarian assistance to\u00a0Sri Lanka and Maldives, with\u00a0HS-748 aircraft and Mi-8\/Mi-17 helicopters\u00a0operating daily, airlifting approximately\u00a017 tonnes of relief material\u00a0and evacuating personnel as required. This established a template for future\u00a0tri-service HADR coordination.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      The massive relief and rescue operations launched by the States and the Government of India had helped in normalizing the situation very early.\u00a0 About 20,900 personnel from Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Para Military Forces were deployed.\u00a0 40 Naval\/Coast Guards ships, 34 aircrafts and 42 helicopters were part of the massive operations. 28,734 persons were rescued on the mainland and more than 6000 stranded people including tourists from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, were brought to the mainland.\u00a0 6.36 lakh persons in all were moved to safer places and kept in 930 relief camps.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Assistance to Maldives (Operation Castor)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Three vessels were launched for Male. They were INS Mysore, INS Udaygiri and INS Aditya. INS Mysore had two helicopters and others had one each. INS Aditya was carrying water and had a water purification plant. Medical teams, medical supplies and relief equipment were also on-board. INS Mysore reached on Dec 28, 2004, INS Udaygiri on Dec 29,2004 and INS Aditya on Dec 30,2004.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Assistance to Sri Lanka (Operation Rainbow)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Sri Lanka\u2019s request for assistance in searching for fishermen and boats missing at sea was responded to by our Navy. In addition, a Dornier aircraft landed a medical team and 600kg of medical supplies in Colombo on Dec 26, 2004. 4 vessels had been launched for Sri Lanka. INS Sharda and INS Sutlej were headed towards Galle. They reached on Dec 27, 2004. Two vessels had been launched for Trincomalee and they reached on Dec 27, 2004. These were INS Sandhayak and INS Sukanya. All vessels had helicopters and divers. Medical teams, medical supplies and relief equipment were also on-board.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Uttarakhand floods (June 2013)\u00a0In the 2013 Uttarakhand disaster, multiple Service commands (Army, IAF, ITBP and NDRF) mounted large-scale rescue and evacuation operations; the IAF\u00a0(Operation Rahat)\u00a0and Army\u00a0(Operation Surya Hope)\u00a0executed thousands of sorties and rescued\/evacuated large numbers of stranded people. IAF dropped 730MT of essential commodities at different places. C-130 J \u201cSuper Hercules\u201d, MI- 26, MLH, ALH, Cheetah and Mi-17V5 were used during the rescue operations in the Uttarakhand disaster 2013.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Jammu & Kashmir floods (September 2014)\u00a0The Indian Air Force launched Operation Megh Rahat to support large-scale rescue and relief operations during the 2014 Jammu & Kashmir floods. Around\u00a070 IAF aircraft\u00a0were deployed in coordination with the Indian Army, NDRF, and civil agencies,\u00a0rescuing over 96,000 people\u00a0and\u00a0airlifting more than 3,500 tonnes of relief material\u00a0to affected areas. Relief effort included medical aid, shelter and food provided to approximately 2,18,000 civilians. An Indian Navy diving team comprising 10 divers led by an officer along with two Gemini craft, diving and rescue equipment were deployed for relief operations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Kerala floods (August 2018)\u00a0Defence forces and NDRF\/National assets were heavily engaged -40 helicopters, 31 aircraft, 182 rescue teams, 18 medical teams of Defence forces, 58 NDRF teams and over 500 boats\u00a0were used; more than\u00a060,000 people\u00a0were rescued or shifted to relief camps. IAF and Navy air\/sea assets conducted extensive air-lifts and airdrops of relief material.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Cyclone Fani (May 2019)\u00a0The Indian Navy pre-positioned ships and teams (medical teams, divers, relief material) to undertake HADR and evacuation operations along the Odisha coast. The central response included deployment of multiple NDRF teams, Army engineering columns, aircraft\/helicopters and naval ships. During Cyclone \u2018Fani\u2019, Government had 19 columns of Army, 09 Engineering Task Force (ETF), 27 aircraft\/helicopters and 16 Ships of Armed Forces for relief and rescue operations.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Cyclone Amphan (May 2020)\u00a0Ahead of and after landfallin eastern India, specifically in West Bengal and Odisha, the IAF maintained a high state of preparedness and supported relief operations, while central\/state agencies coordinated evacuation and relief. A total of 56 Heavy and Medium Lift assets comprising of 25 fixed-wing aircraft and 31 helicopters were earmarked by the IAF.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Glacial Lake Outburst, South Lhonak (October 2023)\u00a0A Glacial Lake Outburst in South Lhonak, located in Sikkim’s far northwestern region,produced a ~50-60 ft surge in the Teesta.\u00a0Operation HIMRAHAT\u00a0was launched to rescue stranded civilians in snowbound areas of Lachung and forward areas of East Sikkim.\u00a01,247 tourists were evacuated\u00a0to safe locations.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      NHIDCL Tunnel Rescue Operation (November 2023)\u00a0Following the collapse of the under-construction Silkyara\u2013Dandalgaon, tunnel (Uttarakhand) on 12 Nov 2023, trapping 41 workers, the Indian Army promptly deployed engineer columns and tunnelling experts to assist in rescue efforts. The operation concluded successfully on 29 Nov 2023 with all workers safely rescued.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Cyclone Michaung, Chennai (Dec 2023)\u00a0Following heavy rains and flooding of River Adyar and Manapakkam Canal on 4 Dec 2023, the Indian Army rescued\u00a0230 civilians, concluding operations on 7 Dec. In a subsequent flood relief effort on 18 Dec 2023,\u00a0two Army columns rescued 1,083 civilians\u00a0from inundated areas of Chennai.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Nationwide Flood and Landslide Relief Operations (2024)\u00a0The Indian Army deployed\u00a083 columns, including the\u00a0Eco Task Force (ETF), across\u00a0fourteen states\u00a0to support disaster relief operations. During these missions,\u00a029,972 civilians were rescued,\u00a0medical assistance\u00a0was provided to around\u00a03,000 people, and\u00a0relief material\u00a0was distributed to over\u00a013,000 civilians. Major relief efforts were conducted in\u00a0Manipur (May 2024),\u00a0Wayanad, Kerala (July 2024),\u00a0Uttarakhand (July 2024), and\u00a0Gujarat (August 2024).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Nationwide Flood and Landslide Relief Operations (2025)\u00a0During 2025, the Indian Army deployed\u00a0141 columns, including Engineer Task Forces, across\u00a0more than 80 locations spanning ten states. These operations resulted in the\u00a0rescue of 28,293 civilians, provision of\u00a0medical assistance to 7,318 individuals, and distribution of\u00a0relief material to 2,617 people.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Major relief operations were conducted in\u00a0Assam\u00a0(Coal Miners Rescue, January 2025),\u00a0Telangana\u00a0(Tunnel Rescue Operation, February 2025), and\u00a0Uttarakhand\u00a0(Avalanche Rescue Operation in Chamoli District, February 2025, and Dharali Cloudburst Rescue Operation, August 2025). Additional flood relief operations were undertaken in\u00a0Manipur and Tripura\u00a0(June 2025),\u00a0Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab\u00a0(August 2025), and\u00a0Maharashtra\u00a0(September 2025).<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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      Major International HADR Operations\/Evacuation \/ Relief Operations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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      India has established itself as a dependable first responder in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond, extending timely humanitarian assistance, evacuation, and relief operations during crises across the globe. The coordinated efforts of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force under the Government\u2019s vision of\u00a0\u201cVasudhaivaKutumbakam\u201d\u00a0and\u00a0SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region)\u00a0reflect India\u2019s enduring commitment to global peace and compassion. The flagging-off of INS\u00a0Sunayna<\/em>\u00a0as IOS SAGAR in April 2025, from Karwar (Karnataka) with 44 naval personnel from Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania, highlights India\u2019s commitment to collective maritime security, capacity-building and cooperation, strengthening SAGAR\u2019s vision of shared growth and stability in the Indian Ocean Region. Together, these initiatives reflect India\u2019s evolving HADR and maritime outreach doctrine, where swift disaster response on land, complements proactive naval diplomacy and collective security efforts.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Operation Maitri (Nepal, 2015)\u00a0Operation Maitri was India\u2019s rapid response to the April 2015 Nepal earthquake; it involved coordinated deployment of IAF aircraft, Army engineer\u2019s task force, NDRF teams and MEA diplomacy. Within four hours of the Nepal earthquake, the IAF launched relief operations and rescued 11,200 people. It\u00a0deployed C-130J, C-17, and IL-76 aircraft to airlift 295 NDRF personnel, 46.5 tonnes of relief material, and five sniffer dogs. The fleet included\u00a0C-130J Super Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III, IL-76 Gajraj, An-32, and eight Mi-17 series medium-lift helicopters (including Mi-17 V5).\u00a0Moreover, India announced a major reconstruction assistance package for Nepal,\u00a0pledging US $1 billion,\u00a0including a substantial grant component, as part of its post-earthquake relief and long-term development support. This was in addition to an existing US $1 billion bilateral assistance programme, taking\u00a0India\u2019s total commitment to US $2 billion over five years.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Operation Devi Shakti (Afghanistan, 2021)\u00a0The operation saw\u00a0India evacuate\u00a0669 people\u00a0from Afghanistan in 2021, including\u00a0448 Indian nationals, 206 Afghans from minority communities, and 15 foreign nationals, using a mix of\u00a0Indian Air Force and Air India flights. A special flight on\u00a010 December\u00a0brought back\u00a010 Indians,\u00a094 Afghans, and\u00a02 Swaroops of Guru Granth Sahib\u00a0along with ancient Hindu manuscripts. The Government also ensured the safe return of\u00a0five holy saroops\u00a0of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and dispatched\u00a0medical relief supplies\u00a0for the\u00a0Indira Gandhi Children\u2019s Hospital, Kabul, handed over to\u00a0WHO\u00a0officials.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Mission Sagar (Indian Ocean Region, 2020\u20132022; and follow-ons)\u00a0Naval HADR under SAGAR:\u00a0Launched in May 2020 under the Prime Minister\u2019s vision of\u00a0SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region),\u00a0Mission Sagar\u00a0has seen successive Indian Navy deployments delivering humanitarian aid to foreign countries across the Indian Ocean. During Covid-19, ships such as\u00a0INS Kesari,\u00a0INS Airavat, and others provided over\u00a03,000 MT of food aid,\u00a0300 MT of liquid medical oxygen,\u00a0900 oxygen concentrators, and\u00a020 ISO containers\u00a0to\u00a015 nations, including the Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros, Sudan, and Mozambique. These missions, executed in close coordination with the\u00a0Ministries of Defence and External Affairs, reaffirm India\u2019s role as the\u00a0first responder\u00a0in the region.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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      Operation Samudra Setu (2020)\u00a0Launched\u00a0on 5 May 2020, Operation Samudra Setu, meaning \u201cSea Bridge\u201d, was the\u00a0Indian Navy\u2019s large-scale sea evacuation mission during COVID-19. Over approximately 55 days, the operation brought home\u00a03,992 Indian citizens\u00a0by sea using ships like INS Jalashwa, INS Airavat, INS Shardul and INS Magar, traversing over 23,000 km.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Operation Ganga (Ukraine, 2022)\u00a0In February-March 2022, India launched a major evacuation effort during the Ukraine conflict, rescuing\u00a018,282 citizens\u00a0through\u00a090 flights-76 commercial\u00a0and\u00a014 IAF. The Government of India fully funded the mission, ensuring that students and their families incurred\u00a0no evacuation costs.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Operation Dost (T\u00fcrkiye and Syria, 2023)\u00a0A7.8-magnitude earthquake struck areas of Syria and southeast T\u00fcrkiye on 6 February 2023. The scale of the disaster demanded urgent global action. India was among the first countries to respond. It rapidly extended humanitarian assistance to the affected regions. Drawing on its extensive experience in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, India swiftly mobilized resources to support T\u00fcrkiye during this critical period. As part of India\u2019s humanitarian response to the Turkey earthquake, Operation Dost was launched in 2023. An Indian Army Field Hospital with 99 medical specialists and paramedics was established at Iskenderun, Hatay Province, providing over 1,000 medical consultations, performing 4 major and 58 minor surgeries, and conducting extensive diagnostic and emergency care for affected civilians. In addition, personnel and equipment have been sent to set up a 30-bed self-sustained field hospital of the Indian Army. India has been able to send more than 250 personnel, specialized equipment and other relief material amounting to more than 135 tons to T\u00fcrkiye on 5 C-17 IAF aircrafts. As regards Syria,\u00a0more than 6 tons of emergency relief assistance has been delivered through a C130J IAF aircraft to Damascus.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Operation Kaveri (Sudan, April 2023)\u00a0Launched\u00a0on 19 April 2023, Operation Kaveri was a coordinated evacuation mission by the Indian Armed Forces using Indian Air Force and Indian Navy assets. A total of 2,171 Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) were provided by the Indian Army for Indian nationals.\u00a0Evacuation operations were carried out from Port Sudan to Jeddah, and subsequently from Jeddah to India, ensuring the safe return of all evacuees.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Operation Brahma (Myanmar, 2025)\u00a0Under Operation Brahma, India\u2019s humanitarian support to earthquake-hit Myanmar continued through mid-April 2025, strengthening relief, medical care, and infrastructure assistance. India has been the first responder since the disaster on 28 March, providing approximately\u00a0750 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including essential medicines, foodgrain, tents, blankets, rapidly deployable surgical and medical shelters, water sanitation and drinking water, and prefabricated office structures. A200-bed field hospital\u00a0treated over\u00a02,500 patients, while an\u00a080-member NDRF Heavy Urban Search and Rescue team\u00a0and a\u00a0127-member Indian Army field hospital team\u00a0were deployed to support ongoing efforts. From the maritime front, Indian Naval Ships\u00a0Satpura\u00a0and\u00a0Savitri, operating under the Eastern Naval Command, sailed for Yangon on\u00a029 March 2025\u00a0carrying\u00a040 tonnes of HADR material, which was handed over to the Chief Minister of Yangon on\u00a031 March 2025. Indian Naval Ships\u00a0Karmuk\u00a0and\u00a0LCU 52, deployed from the Andaman and Nicobar Command, sailed for Yangon on\u00a030 March 2025\u00a0carrying\u00a030 tonnes of relief material, including HADR pallets containing essential clothing, drinking water, food, medicines, and emergency stores. These consignments were handed over at Yangon Port on\u00a01 April 2025. Additionally, Indian Naval Ship\u00a0Gharial\u00a0departed from Visakhapatnam Port on\u00a01 April 2025\u00a0for Yangon and delivered\u00a0442 MT of food aid, comprising\u00a0405 metric tons of rice, 30 metric tons of cooking oil, 5 metric tons of biscuits, and 2 metric tons of instant noodles, intended to meet the immediate food requirements of the affected population in Myanmar.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Complementing the sea effort, an\u00a0IAF C-130J\u00a0transported\u00a0around 16 tonnes\u00a0of relief material, including tents, generators, drinking water, food supplies, and essential medicines. On\u00a015 April, the IAF despatched\u00a020 pre-fabricated office modules\u00a0to Naypyidaw, demonstrating India\u2019s sustained commitment to Myanmar\u2019s recovery.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Operation Sagar Bandhu (2025)\u00a0Under\u00a0Operation Sagar Bandhu, launched on\u00a028 November 2025, India continues to provide comprehensive\u00a0HADR support to Sri Lanka\u00a0following\u00a0Cyclone Ditwah. As of\u00a09 December 2025, India has delivered\u00a0about 1,058 tonnes of relief material, including dry rations, tents, tarpaulins, hygiene kits, clothing, water purification kits, and\u00a0around 4.5 tonnes of medicines and surgical equipment, besides\u00a060 tonnes of specialised equipment. Indian Navy ships\u00a0INS Vikrant, INS Udaygiri, INS Sukanya, INS Gharial and LCUs L51, L54 and L57\u00a0transported over1,000 tonnes of relief from Tamil Nadu\u00a0to Colombo and Trincomalee.\u00a0IAF Mi-17 helicopters\u00a0evacuated\u00a0264 survivors\u00a0and airlifted\u00a050 tonnes of supplies, while\u00a0over 2,500 stranded Indians\u00a0were evacuated, including\u00a0400 by IAF aircraft. A\u00a0para field hospital at Mahiyanganaya\u00a0has treated\u00a0over 2,200 patients, and\u00a0248 tonnes of Bailey Bridge equipment\u00a0with Army engineers are restoring critical connectivity. A\u00a0120-foot dual carriageway Bailey Bridge, weighing\u00a0110 tonnes, was\u00a0opened on December 23, 2025,\u00a0in\u00a0Kilinochchi District of Sri Lanka\u2019s Northern Province, one of the areas worst affected by\u00a0Cyclone Ditwah. The bridge was airlifted from India and installed under\u00a0Operation Sagar Bandhu, restoring critical connectivity and supporting relief and recovery efforts.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      India\u2019s response to disasters domestically and internationally, exemplifies its institutionalized HADR framework, where rapid tri-services deployment and MoD-led coordination enable an integrated land\u2013sea\u2013air response. Such operational experience directly informs recent multi-agency preparedness initiatives, strengthening interoperability, information-sharing and whole-of-government crisis management for future regional emergencies.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \n

      Recent Developments and Preparedness<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      \n

      Focusing on multi-agency engagement, the efforts strengthen communication, interoperability and faster crisis response at national and regional levels. Promoting a synergistic approach among the Civil Administration, Armed Forces and key disaster-management stakeholders, these initiatives enable the exchange of domain knowledge, experience and best practices. Together, they enhance preparedness, swift mobilisation and effective joint all-domain operations during large-scale emergencies and reinforce the need for collaborative HADR management.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Exercise Samanvay(2022)\u00a0The Indian Air Force conducted the annual Joint HADR ExerciseSamanvay 2022\u00a0at Air Force Station Agra from\u00a028\u201330 November 2022, with participation from national stakeholders like NDMA, NDRF, DRDO, BRO, IMD and civil administration, along with representatives from\u00a0ASEAN\u00a0countries. The drill included a seminar on disaster management, a multi-agency capability demonstration, and a tabletop exercise to test institutional preparedness.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Exercise Chakravat(2023)\u00a0\u201cChakravat 2023,\u201d Annual Joint HADR Exercise, was conducted by the Indian Navy in Goa from\u00a09\u201311 October 2023, bringing together key national agencies such as the\u00a0Armed Forces, NDMA and NDRF. The drill also saw participation from\u00a0eight friendly foreign nations, Comoros, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania, strengthening regional cooperation. The exercise focused on coordinated disaster response, interoperability and joint preparedness for large-scale emergencies.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Exercise Sanyukt Vimochan2024\u00a0The Indian Army conducted the multilateral annual joint HADR exercise\u00a0\u2018Sanyukt Vimochan 2024\u2019\u00a0at Ahmedabad and Porbandar on 18\u201319 November 2024, demonstrating India\u2019s disaster response readiness. The exercise featured coordinated logistics, rapid response, rescue operations, casualty evacuation, and rehabilitation with agencies including the Indian Armed Forces, NDMA, NDRF, and state forces, highlighting collaborative disaster management capabilities.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      Exercise Tiger Triumph (2025)\u00a0The fourth edition of the Tri-Service HADR exercise\u00a0Tiger Triumph 2025, between India and the United States was held from\u00a01\u201311 April, 2025. The Indian side was represented by Indian Naval Ships Jalashwa, Gharial, Mumbai and Shakti with integral helicopters and landing crafts embarked, Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft P8I, Army Troops from 91 Inf Brigade and 12 Mech Infantry Battalion, Air Force C-130 Aircraft and MI-17 Helicopters, along with the Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT) working in close coordination with US Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force units. The exercise significantly enhanced joint interoperability, command-and-control procedures and disaster-relief readiness between India and the United States.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      \n

      Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

      India\u2019s commitment to HADR is firmly anchored in its strategic vision of promoting regional stability and strengthening global cooperation. These missions highlight the Armed Forces’ commitment to “Nation First,” transforming adversity into opportunities for resilience. The humanitarian assistance underlines India\u2019s commitment to its \u2018Neighbourhood First\u2019 policy and the timeless Indian ethos of\u00a0\u2018VasudhaivaKutumbakam\u2019<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 the world is one family. The Indian Army continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with friendly nations in times of crisis, reflecting India\u2019s resolve to be a first responder in the region.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Beyond Battlefield: Indian Armed Forces in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Posted On: 15 FEB 2026 11:32AM by PIB Delhi Key Takeaways Indian Armed Forces, while safeguarding India\u2019s sovereignty and borders, also act as first responders and enablers of national resilience through humanitarian, medical and disaster relief support. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was a …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19607,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19606","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19606"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19606\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19608,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19606\/revisions\/19608"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theeducationoverview.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}