India has nearly 9.6 million nationals living across West Asia, including four million in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) alone.
Of these, around 3,000 Indian students remain in Iran with nearly 2,000 hailing from Jammu and Kashmir. Over 1,100 students are reported to be in active conflict zones inside Iran, CNBC-TV18 has learnt.Meanwhile, thousands of Indian transit passengers are stranded at Gulf hubs due to airspace shutdowns. Among these are the Mecca pilgrims, World Mobile Congress (WMC) delegates and tourists who are facing travel disruptions following Iran’s attack on the airports and US air bases in the neighbouring countries.
Read more: Iran Israel war live updates
As the West Asia crisis unfolds, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has reviewed the situation and has instructed various departments of the government to take important and feasible actions to aid the Indian nationals affected by the war.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has also released helpline numbers for the Indian nationals and has urged them to contact the respective missions in the country that they reside in.
The CCS also reviewed the difficulties faced by Indian travellers transiting the region and students appearing for scheduled examinations, as well as the broader implications for regional security and economic and commercial activities, the government said in a statement.The airspace in the West Asian countries is almost closed as of yet.
Flight services were disrupted due to the military escalation.
Hundreds of Indian nationals reportedly remain stuck in Doha, Dubai, and other airports. Many of them have appealed for help by the government on social media platforms.
Read more: Iran-Israel-US war: Trump says conflict could last four weeks or more
The flight disruptions were also witnessed in Kerala for third straight day.
Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) listed around 45 departing flights from Kochi as cancelled for Monday, March 2, on its official website, as per PTI.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Limited (TIAL) and Calicut airport, both said that around 20 flights remained cancelled. Meanwhile, Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) cancelled 10 flights to Gulf countries.
On the situation, Nasscom said that it is closely monitoring the evolving situation in parts of the Middle East. As a precautionary measure, Nasscom has advised member companies to defer travel to affected areas.
“Member companies have also been advised to enable work-from-home arrangements for employees currently in the region. Advise all employees in the region to remain in regular contact with their respective local embassies,” it said in a statement.
