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India’s Armed Forces have evolved into a global first responder, delivering humanitarian aid, medical care and evacuations during disasters and conflicts. From Operation Amistad in earthquake-hit Venezuela to missions in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Türkiye, Ukraine and Afghanistan, India’s military has expanded its HADR footprint through rapid deployments and international exercises.

New Delhi: A military medical team arriving in earthquake-hit Venezuela, warships carrying relief to cyclone-ravaged Sri Lanka, and an Indian field hospital treating victims in Myanmar, India's Armed Forces have increasingly found themselves deployed not only to defend the country, but to save lives far beyond its shores.

As India celebrates its 80th Independence Day on August 15, this expanding humanitarian footprint offers another measure of the country's growing global role: the ability to move troops, doctors, aircraft, warships, and relief supplies at short notice when disaster strikes abroad.

The latest chapter in this expanding global humanitarian footprint came in June-July 2026 with Operation Amistad in Venezuela, where India deployed an Indian Army medical contingent following twin earthquakes that struck the South American country on June 24.

Under Operation Amistad, two Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft were deployed with an Indian Army field hospital unit and humanitarian assistance. The mission involved a 41-member medical contingent and the deployment of advanced medical capabilities, including BHISHM Cube. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on July 1, praised the doctors and medical personnel who worked in Venezuela under the operation, calling their service during challenging circumstances an example of how medical professionals rise to the occasion in times of adversity.