India’s Top 8 Heroic Missions That Saved Lakhs of People

Discover the top 8 heroic missions undertaken by the Indian armed forces to rescue & evacuate lakhs of citizens during crisis situations, from several countries.

The Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force have always been known for their bravery, dedication, and commitment towards the safety and well-being of citizens, not just in India but also in other countries.

The recent completion of Operation Kaveri, which successfully rescued stranded Indians from Sudan, is just one of many such missions undertaken by the forces. 

From evacuating Indians from war-torn countries like Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Yemen to providing relief and rescue operations during natural disasters like the Nepal earthquake, the forces have always been at the forefront of saving lives. 

Their selfless service has not only helped Indians but also citizens of other countries like the US, UK, Germany, Russia, and Nepal.

1. Operation Kaveri (2023)

Launched on April 24th, Operation Kaveri is a rescue mission to evacuate Indian citizens who were stranded in Sudan in response to the crisis in the country.

The Government of India is evacuating about 3,000 passengers of Indian origin and a total 1,191 passengers have arrived so far as of April 29, 2023.

2. Operation Ganga (2022)

When Russia invaded Ukraine and besieged its major cities, India launched ‘Operation Ganga’ to evacuate its citizens trapped in the war-hit country.

Ninety evacuation planes were operated under this, and India successfully brought back around 22,500 of its nationals from 1st February to 11st March, 2022.

3. Operation Devi Shakti (2021)

When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, India conducted the ‘Operation Devi Shakti’ evacuation mission, airlifting Indians from Kabul to Delhi on August 16, 2021.

India successfully evacuated reportedly 800+ Indians under the mission with the help of the Indian Armed Forces.

4. Operation Vande Bharat (2020)

On May 7, 2020, the Indian government initiated ‘Operation Vande Bharat’ to bring back Indians stranded abroad in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

More than 2,17,000 flights have been operated under the mission and over 1.83 crore passengers have been facilitated as of October 31, 2021.

5. Operation Maitri (2015)

In the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the Indian government and the IAF (Indian Air Force) launched ‘Operation Maitri’, a joint rescue and relief operation.

Over 5,000 Indians were evacuated from Nepal, and the Indian Army successfully rescued 170 foreign nationals from the US, UK, Russia, and Germany.

6. Operation Raahat (2015)

Back in 2015, Operation Raahat was launched when hundreds of Indians were left stranded in Yemen after a conflict raged between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.

Under this operation, India evacuated 6,710 persons from Yemen, including 4,748 Indians and 1,962 foreign nationals.

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7. Operation Safe Homecoming (2011)

Operation Safe Homecoming was launched in 2011 to evacuate Indians from Libya during the country’s civil war to depose then-dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The Indian Navy and Air India assisted in the safe return of over 15,400 Indian citizens.

8. Kuwait Airlift (1990)

In 1990, the Indian government carried out the biggest evacuation of Indians ith Air India and the IAF (Indian Air Force) jointly evacuating more 1.7 lakh stranded citizens ith 450+ flights in 59 days.

After this, Air India was registered in the Guinness World Records for executing the largest ever air evacuation mission.