Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed a 'Seafarers Emergency Support Network' at the 18th Brics Summit in New Delhi, aiming to provide distress alerts, medical aid, family communication and evacuation support for seafarers. The proposal was made during his opening remarks on Saturday, with the summit taking place amid heightened tensions in West Asia and disruptions to key shipping routes.

The safety of seafarers has been a recurring theme in Modi’s engagements, including a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Modi emphasized the need for 'freedom of navigation and commerce, and the safety and well-being of seafarers' during discussions on the conflict in West Asia. The issue also featured in his address at the Brics Business Forum on Friday, where he highlighted the importance of secure sea lanes for global trade.

India has a large seafaring workforce, with over three lakh active seafarers. The Directorate General of Shipping has directed ship managers to avoid deploying Indian crew through the high-risk Strait of Hormuz. A Directorate of Maritime Administration report states that 173 Indian seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf. However, sources differ on casualty numbers: the Times of India reports 16 Indian nationals, including 10 seafarers, have died in the region since the conflict began, while the Indian Express cites 15 seafarers killed and two missing.

Modi’s proposal links the maritime initiative to a broader call for Brics to translate its consensus into practical outcomes as the grouping marks its 20th anniversary. He stated that India’s chairship is based on a 'people-centric and humanity-first approach,' with over 350 meetings held across nearly 30 cities during its tenure. The summit was attended by leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Saudi Crown Prince, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

The proposal remains under discussion, with no indication of immediate implementation. The exact mechanism, funding, and participation of Brics members in the network are yet to be clarified. Further details on how the network will function and the role of each member state are not specified in the available sources.