From a helpline to a lifeline: The Vandrevalas’ mission mental health
When Cyrus Vandrevala and the Vandrevala Foundation began addressing India’s mental healthcare gap in 2009, mental health rarely received the public attention it does today. What began as a helpline operating through multiple city-based numbers has since evolved into a national support service, offering free psychological counselling and crisis intervention to people across India.
The initiative reflects a wider effort to address a public health challenge that remains widespread, even as awareness grows. According to the World Health Organization’s estimates, around 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2023 — nearly one in seven people. Anxiety and depressive disorders were among the most common conditions, while access to effective treatment remained limited in many parts of the world.
In India, the growing demand for mental-health support is reflected in the expansion of public services. The government’s National Tele Mental Health Programme, Tele-MANAS, launched in 2022, had handled more than 3.43 million calls by March 2026. Its 53 cells operated across all 36 States and Union Territories, offering services in 20 languages. The programme had also facilitated more than 47,000 referrals for non-emergency in-person care and over 19,000 referrals to mental-health professionals.
Young people remain a particularly important group in this conversation. UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2021 report estimated that more than one in seven adolescents aged 10 to 19 globally had a diagnosed mental disorder. In India, a UNICEF-Gallup survey found that around 14 per cent of young people aged 15 to 24 often felt depressed or had little interest in doing things. Only 41 per cent of those surveyed considered seeking help for mental-health problems a good thing.
The consequences of untreated distress can be devastating. National Crime Records Bureau data recorded 170,746 suicides in India in 2024, corresponding to a rate of 12.2 per lakh population. Student suicides remained a concern, with 14,448 recorded during the year. Globally, the WHO estimated that about 727,000 people died by suicide in 2021, the latest year for which its global estimate is available.
Against this backdrop, the Vandrevala Foundation has focused on making professional support easier to access. Its 24x7 helpline provides free counselling and crisis support to people experiencing depression, trauma, mood disorders, chronic illness, relationship difficulties and other forms of psychological distress. Paid consultations and longer-term therapy are also available for those who need continuing care.
The service, once spread across numbers serving cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Surat, Pune and Gandhinagar, has since been consolidated into a single national number. The change has simplified access for people seeking support, regardless of where they live.
Accessibility matters in a country where stigma can discourage people from seeking treatment. Fears about employment prospects, marriage, family reputation and social judgment — often captured in the question “Log kya kahenge?” — can keep people from discussing their difficulties or approaching a professional. Such barriers can be particularly difficult for young people and women, even when distress begins affecting their daily lives.
Mental-health concerns are not restricted to one age group or economic background. Academic competition, workplace pressure, financial insecurity, relationship problems, chronic illness, loneliness and uncertainty about careers can all contribute to emotional distress. Yet people experiencing such difficulties may not recognise when they need professional support, or may hesitate to ask for it.
The Foundation’s figures offer an indication of the scale of its work. It says it has provided more than 1.2 million free counselling sessions over the past five years and reached 75,000 individuals since 2022. Since its inception in 2009, it has facilitated around one million conversations, according to data provided by the organisation.
Its national helpline handles an average of 30,000 calls and approximately 20,000 messages every month, the Foundation says. More than 13.4 million WhatsApp messages have been exchanged through its support system. The organisation also reports that its response time has fallen from around 10 hours to approximately 10 minutes.
These figures point to the growing role of telephone and digital services in connecting people with support. For someone reluctant to approach a hospital or speak openly with family, the option of calling or sending a message may offer a more accessible first step towards seeking help.
The Foundation’s work has developed alongside government-backed initiatives such as Tele-MANAS, broadening the routes through which people can seek assistance. While helplines cannot replace all forms of psychiatric care or sustained therapy, they can help people in distress connect with trained counsellors and identify further support when needed.
For Cyrus Vandrevala, the initiative has remained a central part of his philanthropic work for more than a decade and a half. Its continuing focus is straightforward: reducing the distance between a person experiencing psychological distress and someone equipped to help.
Mental distress is not always visible to others. But timely access to a trained listener, professional guidance and appropriate care can make a meaningful difference to someone struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness or thoughts of self-harm.
