Health and safety

India emergency numbers

In India one number covers police, fire and ambulance: 112, now set up in every state and union territory. For travel guidance there is a 24/7 tourist helpline, 1363, which also speaks Russian. Below are the other official numbers, what to say to the operator, and what an embassy can and can't do.

112: one number for everything

India used to have more than twenty emergency numbers, and people in a panic would dial the police for a fire. The Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) of the Ministry of Home Affairs replaced that with one number, 112, for police, fire, ambulance and other help. As of December 2025 it has been set up in all 36 states and union territories.

A call goes to the state's control room (Public Safety Answering Point). There an operator records the incident and passes it to the right service: police, health, fire, disaster response, the women's or children's helpline, or the railways. Dispatch works from a map, which is why your location matters so much.

Besides a voice call, ERSS accepts SMS, email, an SOS signal, web requests, a chatbot and WhatsApp. There is also an official 112 India app with an SOS button.

SOS without unlocking the phone

India's emergency system describes a panic call to 112 from a smartphone by pressing the power button three times quickly, and on a basic push-button phone by pressing and holding 5 or 9. That description is for handsets sold in India. A phone bought elsewhere may use its own emergency SOS gesture instead, so before the trip check your phone's emergency SOS settings and test what the buttons do. The 112 India app also has an SOS button.

📞 Numbers worth saving

In any emergency, start with 112. The rest are for specific situations, or for when you need guidance rather than a patrol car.

112Emergency: police, fire, ambulanceAny threat to life, health or safety. Works across all states and union territories.1363Tourist helpline (Ministry of Tourism)24/7 travel information and guidance for tourists in distress. Toll-free 1800-11-1363. Twelve languages: Hindi, English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Arabic.181Women Helpline24/7, toll-free: emergency help through 112, plus counselling and legal and social support. Works in all states and UTs except West Bengal.1091Delhi Police women's helplineDelhi Police women's safety helpline (Delhi only; 1096 is listed alongside it). Elsewhere use 112 or 181.1098Child HelplineA 24-hour line for any child in crisis, or an adult calling on a child's behalf. Emergency calls are passed to 112.108Ambulance (state services)108 is the emergency ambulance for critical patients, trauma and accidents; 102 is basic patient transport, mainly for pregnant women and children. Available in most states.1930Cyber fraudMoney taken by an online or UPI scam, card fraud. Call as soon as possible so the transaction can be frozen where possible, then complete the complaint on cybercrime.gov.in.139Rail Madad (trains)Any problem on a train or at a station, including security and medical help. Twelve languages, works from any phone, no smartphone needed. In the voice menu, 1 connects straight to an operator for security and medical help.1033National highways helpline (NHAI)Accident, breakdown or hazard on a national highway. 24/7; an ambulance or patrol vehicle is sent from the nearest toll plaza.

What about 100, 101 and 108?

You'll still see the old numbers on signs and in older guides: 100 for police, 101 for fire, 108 for ambulance. 112 was introduced to end the confusion between them, and how each state still handles the old numbers varies. Dial 112 first, it is the one number the whole country has agreed on.

👣 What to tell the operator

A calm, short call gets help moving faster. The order below works in any language.

What happened
One sentence: accident, fire, assault, someone unconscious. Say if anyone is hurt or still in danger.
Where you are
Address, hotel name, nearby landmark, temple or shop. If you don't know, read the coordinates from your map app. Turn on location on your phone.
Who needs help
How many people, age, whether they are conscious and breathing.
Your phone number
Give a number that will stay on, and keep the line free so the crew can call back.
Language
Speak slowly and simply in English or Hindi if you can. If language is a barrier, ask a local nearby to help; for guidance in Russian and other languages, the tourist line 1363 can help once the urgent call is made.
Don't hang up first
Wait until the operator ends the call. Note the time and the name or number they give you.

Tourist police

Safety is a state matter in India, so the set-up differs. According to the Ministry of Tourism (February 2026), tourist police have been deployed in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh. In some places these are dedicated posts at major sights, in others units within the regular police. No post nearby? Call 112 or 1363.

How your embassy can help

Consular help rests on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and India is a party to it. Under the convention a consulate can:

issue passports and travel documents to its citizens, including an emergency document if your passport is lost or stolen;
help and assist its citizens in trouble, for example by contacting relatives or advising on local lawyers and doctors;
visit you if you are detained. If you ask, the Indian authorities must inform your consulate without delay, and you can write to it.

The convention also obliges consular staff to respect local law, so a consulate cannot override an Indian court or the police, and it does not replace a lawyer, a doctor or your insurer. What exactly it offers (money transfers from relatives, lists of clinics, a hotline) depends on your country; check your foreign ministry's website before the trip and save the embassy's emergency number.

✅ Save before the trip

Five minutes at home save a lot of searching later.

112 and 1363 in your contacts — Plus 1930 if you pay by card or UPI.
Your embassy's emergency line — From your foreign ministry's website, not from search ads.
Insurance assistance number and policy number — Offline, not only in an email.
Your hotel's address — Written in English and, ideally, in the local script.
The phone's emergency SOS set up — Check how your phone's emergency SOS is triggered and add an emergency contact.

❓ Questions people ask

Does 112 work everywhere in India?

Yes. According to the government (December 2025), ERSS-112 has been set up in all 36 states and union territories.

Can I get help in Russian?

The Ministry of Tourism helpline 1363 (1800-11-1363) works in twelve languages, Russian among them. For a direct threat to life, call 112 first.

Is 1363 an emergency number?

No, it's an information and guidance line for tourists, including those in distress. For police, fire or an ambulance, call 112.

Can I report a crime without talking?

ERSS accepts SMS, email, web requests and an SOS from the 112 India app. Phones sold in India also have a power-button panic call; on a phone bought abroad, set up and test its own emergency SOS before the trip.

I was scammed out of money online. Who do I call?

Call 1930 as soon as possible and then complete the complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. Block the card through your bank too.

Who do I call on a train?

139, Rail Madad. It covers security and medical help on board and at stations.

Sources (17)

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