Multiple outlets report that around 20,000 Indian seafarers are caught amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region. The reports say the situation is disrupting normal maritime operations and creating uncertainty for Indian crews working across the area. A seafarers’ representative body has flagged concerns about the safety and welfare of these workers and is calling for urgent action. The Times of India report specifically requests that the government take evacuation-related steps, indicating concern that existing arrangements may not be sufficient if conditions worsen. The Economic Times similarly frames the issue around the scale of the affected workforce, reiterating that the number of Indian seafarers involved is about 20,000. While details on specific incidents, shipping routes, or nationalities of vessels are not provided in the supplied excerpts, both sources converge on the same core points: the Gulf tensions are affecting Indian seafarers at significant scale, and the mariners’ body urges government intervention. The reports do not specify timing or confirm evacuations have already begun.