What Happened
- The Indian Navy has positioned warships in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf on standby for humanitarian and evacuation operations as the West Asia conflict escalates following US-Israel strikes on Iran
- The deployments are an extension of Operation Sankalp — India's naval mission in the Gulf region originally launched in 2019 and reactivated during the Red Sea crisis of 2023-24
- INS Vikrant and other vessels were reported to be on readiness for humanitarian missions; the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by PM Modi, reviewed the conflict situation and India's readiness
- 37 Indian-flagged ships with approximately 1,109 Indian seafarers were stranded in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman as the Strait of Hormuz faced restrictions
- The Indian government simultaneously vowed a swift evacuation of any Indians trapped in the conflict zone, with both naval assets and civilian aircraft identified as evacuation means
- More than 10 million Indians live in Gulf countries; their safety is a primary concern driving India's deployment decision
Static Topic Bridges
Operation Sankalp: India's Naval Presence in the Gulf
Operation Sankalp was launched on June 19, 2019, following attacks on merchant tankers in the Gulf of Oman — during a period of elevated US-Iran tensions. Under the operation, India deployed a frigate and a destroyer in the Gulf of Aden and Gulf of Oman to provide escort and assurance to Indian-flagged vessels and safeguard merchant traffic carrying Indian cargo.
Since its inception, Operation Sankalp has escorted over 230 merchant vessels carrying around 90 lakh metric tonnes (90 million tonnes) of cargo valued at over $4 billion. The operation was re-initiated in December 2023 in response to the Red Sea crisis when Houthi attacks began targeting commercial shipping. It has remained active and is now the primary framework under which India's current Gulf deployment is operating.
- Launched: June 19, 2019; re-initiated: December 2023
- Vessels deployed: Typically one frigate (IN frigates of Shivalik or Talwar class) + one destroyer; supported by P-8I maritime patrol aircraft
- Cargo escorted: 230+ merchant vessels; ~90 lakh MT cargo; valued at $4+ billion
- Operational area: Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Northern Arabian Sea
- Mandate expansion: Now includes readiness for humanitarian evacuation, not just anti-piracy/escort
Connection to this news: Operation Sankalp provides the institutional and logistical framework for the current deployment — Indian warships are already in place, with established communication protocols, Rules of Engagement (RoE), and coordination with regional navies, making activation for humanitarian missions faster than a fresh deployment would be.
India's Humanitarian Evacuation Capability: Operation Raahat and Beyond
India has demonstrated growing capability and willingness to conduct large-scale non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO) in the Middle East. The most prominent was Operation Raahat (April 2015) — launched when the Saudi-led coalition began airstrikes in Yemen against Houthi forces. India deployed INS Sumitra and INS Mumbai, and coordinated with civilian aircraft, to evacuate nearly 5,000 Indian nationals and approximately 1,800 foreign nationals from 41 countries — in what became one of India's largest and most complex peacetime evacuation operations.
More recently, Operation Kaveri (April-May 2023) evacuated approximately 3,800 Indian nationals from Sudan when civil war erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). These operations have built institutional competence — the Navy, MEA, and Air Force now have practised coordination mechanisms for non-combatant evacuations.
- Operation Raahat (Yemen, 2015): ~5,000 Indians + 1,800 foreign nationals (41 countries) evacuated
- Operation Kaveri (Sudan, 2023): ~3,800 Indians evacuated
- Operation Sukoon (Lebanon, 2006): ~2,280 Indians evacuated during Israel-Hezbollah war
- India's NEO capacity: Coordinated Navy-MEA-Air Force mechanism; overseas embassies as coordination hubs
- 37 Indian-flagged ships with 1,109 Indian seafarers stranded (March 2026); Navy on standby to assist
Connection to this news: With 10+ million Indians in Gulf countries and seafarers already stranded, the Navy's standby positioning directly operationalises India's stated commitment to protecting its diaspora — leveraging the capability built through Raahat, Kaveri, and Sukoon.
India's Role in Indian Ocean Maritime Security
The Indian Ocean is central to India's grand strategic vision. The SAGAR doctrine ("Security and Growth for All in the Region"), articulated by PM Modi in 2015, positions India as the net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Under this framework, India takes responsibility for: - Maritime domain awareness (tracking vessels, piracy monitoring) - Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) - Anti-piracy operations - Search and rescue coordination - Coast guard capacity building for smaller island states
The Indian Navy's Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), established at Gurugram in 2018, serves as a multilateral maritime information-sharing hub, partnering with over 50 countries and international agencies. During the current West Asia conflict, India's warships and IFC-IOR are playing a critical role in tracking 37 Indian-flagged stranded vessels and coordinating with Gulf state coast guards.
- SAGAR doctrine (2015): India as net security provider in the IOR
- IFC-IOR (Gurugram, 2018): Information hub with 50+ country partnerships; tracks vessels, piracy incidents
- India's naval fleet: ~140+ ships including aircraft carriers (INS Vikrant), destroyers, frigates, submarines, patrol vessels
- India's EEZ: ~2.37 million sq. km; coastline: 7,516 km (including islands)
- India hosts IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium): A multilateral forum of 24 navies for cooperative security
Connection to this news: India's ability to rapidly respond with humanitarian-ready warships in the Gulf reflects the SAGAR doctrine in action — demonstrating that India's naval posture in the IOR is not just about territorial defence but about projecting stability and protecting both citizens and commercial interests across the broader region.
Key Facts & Data
- Operation Sankalp (launched 2019, reactivated 2023): 230+ vessels escorted; ~90 lakh MT cargo; $4+ billion value
- Indian-flagged ships stranded in Persian Gulf/Gulf of Oman (March 2026): 37 ships, 1,109 Indian seafarers
- Indian diaspora in GCC countries: 9-10 million people; UAE alone hosts ~3.5 million
- Operation Raahat (Yemen, 2015): ~5,000 Indians + 1,800 foreign nationals from 41 countries evacuated
- Operation Kaveri (Sudan, 2023): ~3,800 Indians evacuated
- Operation Sukoon (Lebanon, 2006): ~2,280 Indians evacuated
- IFC-IOR (Gurugram): Operational since 2018; 50+ partner countries/agencies; tracks Indian Ocean maritime traffic
- India's EEZ: ~2.37 million sq. km; coastline: 7,516 km
- Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS): Chaired by PM; reviewed West Asia situation and India's readiness
- SAGAR doctrine (2015): India's vision as "net security provider" in the Indian Ocean Region