BERLIN, October 23 (ANI) — Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said Friday that India has consistently prioritized the safety and well-being of its citizens stranded in crisis-hit regions worldwide, emphasizing that the government has gone beyond issuing advisories to bring people home during challenging situations.
Addressing the Indian diaspora in Berlin, Goyal said India has consistently supported citizens facing difficulties abroad and has also helped evacuate nationals of other countries when necessary.
“Most other countries just issue an advisory. The advisory is, come back home. How? That’s not the government’s problem. In fact, we often even get people from other countries out, along with the Indians, whom we support,” Goyal said.
Recalling the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the minister said approximately 22,000 Indians, most of them students, were in the country when the conflict began.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally supervised the evacuation efforts, establishing a dedicated team in New Delhi to coordinate operations and deploying four senior ministers to neighboring countries to facilitate the return of Indian citizens.
Goyal said the government had urged Indians in Ukraine to return home even before the conflict escalated, but the situation became more challenging after the war broke out.
“Prime Minister Modi at that point in time set up a crack team in Delhi, which he would personally supervise, coordinate, take feedback from, guide and advise continuously,” he said.
The minister’s remarks highlighted India’s approach to protecting its citizens overseas during international crises and the government’s emphasis on coordinated evacuation operations.
Goyal also highlighted the contributions of 6,000 nurses from Kerala who traveled to West Germany in the 1960s to help address a shortage of nursing professionals, saying their work helped build lasting trust between India and Germany.
“In the 1960s, when West Germany was facing a huge shortage of nurses for their hospitals, they invited 6,000 nurses from Kerala. They came here to work in hospitals and care homes, provided outstanding patient care, supported families in Germany and then built their lives in a new country,” he said.
Goyal said the nurses’ contributions extended beyond health care, strengthening people-to-people ties and deepening mutual trust between the two countries.
“And that contribution of those 6,000 nurses can never be forgotten, can never be undermined,” he said.
The minister noted that bilateral relations had evolved into a strategic partnership over the decades. India and Germany marked 25 years of their strategic partnership last year and are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations this year.
The remarks come as India and Germany seek to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, technology and other sectors.
Businesses in both countries are looking to capitalize on emerging economic opportunities, including those expected to arise from the India-European Union free trade agreement. (ANI)
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