New Delhi: Following a series of powerful earthquakes in northern Venezuela that caused hundreds of fatalities and widespread destruction, India acted swiftly to deploy emergency support. India is among the first nations to respond, reinforcing its doctrine of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'(The World is One Family).
India launched ‘Operation Amistad’, dispatching critical medical assistance to earthquake-affected Venezuela in a decisive demonstration of global solidarity and humanitarian leadership. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the mission underscores India’s expanding role as a first responder in global Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), the government release affirmed.
Guided by the strategic diplomacy of External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, the operation reflects India’s commitment to standing with partner nations. Two Boeing C-17 Globemaster aircraft of the Indian Air Force undertook this long-haul strategic mission, marking one of the farthest humanitarian deployments ever executed by India.
The aircraft carried a fully operational Indian Army Field Hospital Unit, over 35 tonnes of emergency relief supplies, critical medicines and advanced medical equipment and two state-of-the-art BHISHM Cubes (Aarogya Maitri portable hospitals), the release stated. This rapid deployment highlights India’s unmatched capability in delivering scalable, technology-driven disaster response solutions across continents.
At the heart of Operation Amistad, lies the BHISHM Cube(Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita & Maitri), which is a pioneering portable hospital system under the Aarogya Maitri initiative. Designed for rapid deployment in disaster zones, each BHISHM cube offers modular infrastructure capable of treating 300 patients. It has Integrated trauma care, surgical and diagnostic units. Portable oxygen generation systems and imaging tools.
The deployment of BHISHM Cubes in Venezuela reinforces India’s commitment to combining innovation with compassion, delivering not just aid but comprehensive healthcare ecosystems in crisis-hit regions.
According to sources, Operation Amistad is a reflection of India’s evolving foreign policy, where humanitarian diplomacy is central to global engagement.
India’s outreach to Venezuela symbolises strengthening Global South cooperation, enhancing disaster resilience partnerships and expanding India’s footprint in Latin America through HADR missions. A defining feature of this mission is the seamless collaboration between the government and implementation partners.
RailTel Corporation of India Limited, as a key PSU partner, played a crucial role in enabling the deployment of logistics and the technological backbone for the BHISHM initiative. RailTel stands at the heart of this journey, powering India’s mission to save lives, anywhere in the world. Equally significant is the contribution of Green Genome India Pvt Ltd, which led the on-ground coordination and execution of the deployment, te government release further reiterated.
Green Genome India, as the implementation and aggregation partner for the BHISHM Cube (Aarogya Maitri Initiative), plays a pivotal role in end-to-end coordination, deployment and execution of India’s humanitarian medical missions. The organisation enables seamless integration between government agencies, PSUs like RailTel Corporation of India Limited and global stakeholders, ensuring rapid, efficient and life-saving deployment of portable hospital systems worldwide, the release said.
“It is an immense honour to contribute to something far greater than ourselves, supporting the Government of India in life-saving humanitarian missions. Being part of the BHISHM Cube deployment is not just a professional milestone, but a deeply fulfilling journey in the service of humanity”, said a senior project lead involved in the mission.
The release said that Operation Amistad stands as evidence of India’s growing stature as a reliable global partner in times of crisis. By combining military precision, diplomatic foresight and technological innovation, India continues to redefine humanitarian response frameworks. As the world faces increasing climate and disaster challenges, initiatives like BHISHM Cube position India not only as a responder but as a leader in shaping the future of global humanitarian aid.
For institutions and teams involved in execution, this mission represents a moment of immense national pride, the release further added. A magnitude 4.9 earthquake was detected off Venezuela’s northern coast June 26, Friday. The tremor came days after two powerful earthquakes struck the country on June 24, Wednesday evening, killing at least 920 people and causing widespread devastation in parts of Caracas.
(With Inputs from ANI)
