As the Iran conflict spilled on to Qatar, uncertainty gripped the country’s 8.3 lakh-strong Indian community, with flights disrupted, transit passengers stranded, and many residents anxious about returning home for emergencies. The Indian embassy in Doha responded swiftly, setting up round-the-clock helplines and coordinating with Qatari authorities, airlines, and community groups to assist those in need.
In an interview with Firstpost, India’s Ambassador to Qatar, Vipul, explains how the embassy managed the immediate fallout, helped stranded Indians, coordinated travel support, and reassured the diaspora amid an evolving crisis.
Edited Excerpts:
The day the war broke out must have been extremely challenging for the embassy, with panic among people and a flood of requests from the Indian community. How did you manage the situation in those initial hours?
Yes. The war began on February 28, and Qatar was attacked that day around noon. The immediate issue that arose was Indian passengers who got stuck at the airport in transit. Naturally, people were concerned about how the situation might evolve.
We immediately started issuing advisories asking people to follow the news, take guidance from local authorities, and avoid panic. At the same time, we launched a 24/7 helpline to receive queries.
The good thing was that most of the passengers stranded in transit were traveling on Qatar Airways, and the airline quickly arranged hotel accommodation for them. People were comfortable and taken to hotels.
Over the next few days, our focus was on issuing advisories based on guidance from local authorities. We expanded our helplines and set up a full 24/7 control room with three helplines, WhatsApp messaging, and email support. We responded to all queries that came in.
We also reached out to Indian community organizations. I held a virtual meeting with about 40 to 50 organisations to ensure that accurate information reached the community. I remained in constant contact with two or three of the largest Indian community groups.
These organisations also set up help desks and helplines, and fortunately many of them have physical office spaces in Qatar.
Our consular services continued daily. Some people requested Tatkal passports because they feared they might have to travel at short notice. We facilitated those requests, issuing passports the same day or the next day.
Once flights resumed, we created two registration links to assist those stranded in transit and those in Qatar on short-term visas. We coordinated closely with Qatar Airways and shared our lists of passengers needing urgent travel.
Let me give an example. Qatar has a strong Indian community of about 8.3 lakh people. Unfortunately, natural deaths do occur within the community. In the past five to six days that Qatar Airways flights have operated, we have helped send eight mortal remains back to India, and the airline has given priority to those cases as well as to accompanying family members.
There are also people who need to travel because of family emergencies or weddings. We are coordinating closely with Qatar Airways to assist them.
So far, around 4,300 people have traveled on Qatar Airways flights.
Another option we advised was traveling via Saudi Arabia. We facilitated around 600 temporary transit visas to Saudi Arabia. Some people also traveled on their own if they had Saudi visas. Indians can obtain a visa on arrival if they hold a used US, UK, or Schengen visa.
All this coordination has been happening through our control room, with officers working almost 24/7. The role of Indian community organizations and volunteers has also been admirable. It has truly been a collective effort.
People have been anxious, and many want to travel, but overall there has been no real panic in the community.
Over your long diplomatic career, you must have witnessed crises before. How does this situation compare with previous crises you have dealt with?
If we look at the last 12 to 13 years, our ministry has handled numerous evacuation operations around the world.
In this case, we are not conducting a full evacuation. Another major crisis we handled was Covid-19. At that time I was the consul general in Dubai, and flights were suspended for about 45 days.
Dubai had a very large Indian population, including many people on short-term visits or tourism who were suddenly stranded. The Government of India eventually organised their return in a very structured manner during a major public health emergency.
That situation was actually far more challenging. Here, after four or five days, flights to India resumed, and people also have the option of traveling via Saudi Arabia.
So our ministry has dealt with several such situations under the guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister [Narendra Modi] and the External Affairs Minister [S Jaishankar], and we are trying to do our best in the current circumstances as well.
You must also be coordinating closely with Qatari authorities and other government stakeholders. What kind of support have you received from them?
From the very first day, we have remained in close contact with the Qatari authorities. They have conducted several briefings and issued consistent advisories.
The communication from the government has been clear and reassuring for all residents of Qatar.
Importantly, there has been no shortage of food, medicines, or essential supplies. Although there have been attacks, most have been intercepted.
The reassurance from the Qatari government has been outstanding.
We have communicated the needs of the Indian community to the authorities here. I remain in constant touch with Qatar Airways and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Whenever someone applies to us for travel assistance, we share those names with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As I mentioned earlier, the focus has been on transit passengers and short-term visitors.
The Qatari authorities have been very helpful in facilitating flights to India and assisting those who wish to travel via the Qatar–Saudi border.
They have also supported the community through regular supplies of essentials and medical assistance. For instance, one Indian national who was seriously injured in the conflict was immediately taken to hospital and received full medical care.
Overall, the authorities here have been very supportive in helping the community.
The Indian expatriate community is one of the largest in Qatar and contributes significantly to the economy. However, uncertainty remains as the war continues. What message would you like to give to the Indian community here?
My message to the community, which I have also been sharing regularly, is that Qatar is our second home.
With 8.3 lakh Indians, we are the largest expatriate community in the country, even larger than the local population. Therefore, we must remain steadfast and resilient.
I must say the community has shown exactly that.
There is no widespread panic. Some people want to travel back, mostly due to family emergencies. Some have weddings in India or other personal commitments, which naturally creates anxiety.
But overall, the community remains strong and committed to Qatar as well as to the strong bilateral relations between the two countries.
People understand that the situation is evolving and unpredictable.
The government of Qatar has taken good care of all residents, including the Indian community. Therefore, people have confidence that they will overcome this situation.
We saw similar resilience during Covid-19, when people stayed and supported each other.
The Indian community is known for its solidarity, and I believe it will continue to support each other during this period as well.
You must also be coordinating closely with India’s Ministry of External Affairs. There is reportedly a central control room in Delhi. What kind of messaging are you receiving from India?
The message from Delhi is very clear: take care of the Indian community and protect Indian interests.
That is exactly what we are doing.
We are fully dedicated to assisting Indians here and are coordinating closely with the authorities in Qatar to maintain trade, commercial engagement, and communication between the two countries.
Finally, what are your priorities over the next few days?
In the coming days, we hope that more flights may become available. That would greatly help the community.
Of course, this is not entirely in our hands, but we are making requests to the relevant authorities.
With Eid approaching and Indian schools closed, more people want to travel to India briefly and then return.
Therefore, additional flights would be extremely helpful.
At the same time, we will continue assisting the community, especially with medical cases and emergency needs.
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