India will launch today one of the biggest evacuation exercises in history, christened as ‘Vande Bharat Mission’, to bring back home nearly 15000 Indian nationals stranded in different parts of the world in the wake of coronavirus crisis.

The government will run as many as 64 flights of Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express from 7-13 May and deploy a raft of Indian naval ships to undertake the massive exercise.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also kept ready about 30 transport aircraft, including C-17 Globemaster and C-130J Super Hercules, to join the evacuation exercise, if the need arises. Flights are being operated to the Philippines, Singapore, Bangladesh, UAE, UK, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, USA, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The huge operation is being carried out in close coordination by several ministries – External Affairs, Defence, Home Affairs and Civil aviation– and various state governments.

”Commenced preparations for ‘Vande Bharat Mission’. Planning underway for stranded Indian nationals to return home starting 7th May. Urge them to keep in regular touch with their Embassies,’ External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar tweeted.

Commenced preparations for Vande Bharat Mission. Planning underway for stranded Indian nationals to return home starting 7th May. Urge them to keep in regular touch with their Embassies. pic.twitter.com/uFtNijO3DO

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 5, 2020

The Indian Navy said it had launched “Operation Samudra Setu” (Sea Bridge) to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas. Indian naval ships ‘INS Jalashwa’ and ‘INS Magar’ were en route to the Maldives to commence the first phase of the operation, it added.

Government sources confirmed that the national airlines would be carrying out 64 flights to bring back stranded Indians in the first phase. The flights were non-scheduled commercial flights and the passengers would be paying for their tickets. They would also be subject to intense screening for COVID-19 before boarding.

“The best possible rates have been negotiated with Air India. For instance, the return flight from the Gulf Region to India is just around Rupees 15,000 only,” sources added.

Around four lakh Indians in the Gulf region have registered with the Indian missions to return to India. They include those who have either lost their jobs due to the global lockdown and those whose contracts were over or those who have no jobs. Also, there were women who were pregnant. Preference would be given to those who have ‘compelling reason’ to return home, sources added.

India would also allow foreign citizens to leave for their respective countries on board the repatriation flights. This, of course, would depend on whether the country to which they wish to return was allowing people back.

Those wishing to return to India would not be allowed to board the flights without testing for COVID-19. On reaching India, they would be sent to a 14-day quarantine period for which they would be required to pay from their own pockets.