Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) was a massive repatriation operation launched by Government of India on May 7, 2020, to bring back Indian nationals stranded abroad due to global travel restrictions and lockdowns caused by COVID-19 pandemic.
It is widely regarded as one of largest civilian evacuation exercises in history, surpassing scale of 1990 Gulf War airlift.
Objectives and Scope
The mission was designed to assist Indian citizens facing various hardships, including:
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Workers in Gulf and other regions who lost their livelihoods.
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Students and professionals whose visas had expired or could not be renewed.
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Pregnant women, the elderly, and those requiring urgent medical attention in India.
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Individuals needing to return home due to the death of a family member.
Key Statistics (as of 2022-2026 reports)
| Feature | Details |
| Total Passengers | Over 3.20 crore (32 million) inbound and outbound. |
| Flights Operated | Approximately 3 lakh (300,000) flights. |
| Countries Covered | More than 100 countries across all continents. |
| Modes of Transport | Air (Air India, private airlines), Sea (Indian Navy’s Operation Samudra Setu). |
How it Worked
The mission was executed in multiple phases to manage the passengers and ensure strict adherence to health protocols.
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Phase 1 & 2: Focused on high-priority regions like UAE, USA, UK, and Saudi Arabia.
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Air Bubbles: As mission evolved, India established “Bilateral Air Bubble” arrangements with over 28 countries (including Canada, Germany, and Japan) to allow commercial flights to operate under specific safety guidelines.
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Operation Samudra Setu: While VBM was primarily an aerial mission, the Indian Navy deployed ships like INS Jalashwa to evacuate citizens from Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Iran.
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Health Protocols: Every passenger underwent thermal screening, and states set up mandatory quarantine facilities to prevent spread of the virus.
SWADES Initiative
A unique aspect of Vande Bharat Mission was SWADES (Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support) initiative. Government collected data on skill sets of returning citizens to map them with job opportunities in Indian and foreign companies, helping those who had lost jobs abroad to restart their careers at home.
Legacy
While repatriation mission concluded as international travel normalized by early 2022, “Vande Bharat” brand has since become synonymous with India’s indigenous modernization.
By March 2026, focus has shifted to Vande Bharat Express—a fleet of over 164 semi high speed trains. Program has expanded into Vande Bharat Sleeper trains (launched in early 2026) for long distance travel, marking a transition from crisis management to world-class infrastructure.
Note: Vande Bharat Mission proved India’s logistical capability to execute complex, global-scale humanitarian operations, setting a benchmark for future emergency evacuations.