The Vandrevala Foundation has grown from a helpline into a national mental-health support service, with free crisis counselling available around the clock. The work has taken place alongside the expansion of government-backed services such as Tele-MANAS, giving people more ways to seek help when they are dealing with psychological distress
When Cyrus Vandrevala and the Vandrevala Foundation began addressing India’s mental healthcare gap in 2009, the subject rarely received the public attention it does today. What started as a helpline operating through multiple city-based numbers has since developed into a national support service, providing free psychological counselling and crisis intervention to people across India.
The initiative places Vandrevala within a wider effort to address a public health challenge that is both widespread and frequently hidden. According to the World Health Organization’s latest estimates, around 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2023, or nearly one in seven people. Anxiety and depressive disorders were among the most common conditions, while access to effective care remains limited in many parts of the world.
In India, demand for mental-health support has become increasingly visible through the use of newer public services. The government’s National Tele Mental Health Programme, Tele-MANAS, has expanded rapidly since its launch in 2022. By March 2026, 53 Tele-MANAS cells were operating across all 36 States and Union Territories, with services available in 20 languages. More than 3.43 million calls had been handled through the programme, while more than 47,000 referrals had been made for non-emergency in-person care and over 19,000 to mental-health professionals.
The demand is particularly relevant among young people. UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children 2021 reported that more than one in seven adolescents aged 10 to 19 globally was estimated to have a diagnosed mental disorder. In India, a UNICEF and Gallup survey found that around 14% of young people aged 15 to 24 reported often feeling depressed or having little interest in doing things. Only 41% of young people surveyed in India said that it was good to seek support for mental-health problems.
The consequences can be severe. The latest National Crime Records Bureau data recorded 170,746 suicides in India in 2024, with a suicide rate of 12.2 per lakh population. Student suicides also remained a concern, with 14,448 student suicides recorded during the year.
Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that about 727,000 people died by suicide in 2021, the latest year for which its global estimate is available. WHO identifies suicide as a major public-health concern and has stressed the importance of timely intervention and access to appropriate care.
Against this backdrop, Cyrus Vandrevala’s focus has been on making professional support more accessible. Through the Vandrevala Foundation, individuals experiencing depression, trauma, mood disorders, chronic illness or relationship conflict can receive free counselling and crisis support through a 24x7 helpline. Paid long-term therapy is also available for people requiring continuing care.
The service was previously operated through multiple numbers in Mumbai, Delhi, Surat, Pune and Gandhinagar. It has since been consolidated into a single national number, making the helpline easier to access regardless of location.
This accessibility is important in a country where stigma remains a significant barrier to treatment. Concerns about employment, marriage, family reputation and social judgment, often summed up in the phrase “Log kya kahenge?”, can prevent people from seeking help. The barrier can be especially pronounced among young people and women. UNICEF’s 2021 survey also found that fewer than half of the young people surveyed in India considered seeking help for mental-health problems a good thing.
Vandrevala has approached this shortage as a challenge requiring intervention at scale. Mental-health concerns are not confined to a particular demographic or income group. They affect the young, the ageing, people living with illness and those who may otherwise appear healthy. Workplace pressure, financial difficulties, peer pressure, academic competition, relationship problems and uncertainty surrounding employment and careers can all contribute to the demand for psychological support.
The Foundation’s data gives an indication of the volume of people reaching its services. It says it has provided more than 1.2 million free counselling sessions during the last five years, reached 75,000 individuals since 2022 and facilitated around one million conversations since its inception in 2009.
Its national helpline handles an average of 30,000 calls and approximately 20,000 messages each month, according to figures provided by the Foundation. More than 13.4 million WhatsApp messages have also been exchanged through its support system. The Foundation says its response time has fallen from about ten hours to approximately ten minutes.
The Vandrevala Foundation has grown from a helpline into a national mental-health support service, with free crisis counselling available around the clock. The work has taken place alongside the expansion of government-backed services such as Tele-MANAS, giving people more ways to seek help when they are dealing with psychological distress.
For Cyrus Vandrevala, the Foundation remains a major part of their philanthropic work. Established in 2009, it provides free crisis support by telephone and WhatsApp and also offers paid consultations and longer-term therapy for people who need continuing care.
The Foundation has continued to focus on a simple problem: making it easier for a person in distress to speak to someone trained to help. For Vandrevala, that work has remained a part of his philanthropic activities for more than a decade and a half.
Mental distress is not always visible. But for someone struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness or thoughts of self-harm, having a number to call or a message to send can provide a first route to professional support.
