India's official emergency kit checklist, item by item

Short answer. India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) lists 12 essentials for a disaster emergency kit: battery torch with extra batteries, battery radio, first aid kit and manual, dry food and sealed water, candles and matches, knife, chlorine tablets, can opener, essential medicines, cash and cards, thick ropes and sturdy shoes ¹. It gives no quantities ¹.

What is on the official NDMA kit list?

Line by line, as listed by NDMA ¹:

• Battery operated torch with extra batteries
• Battery operated radio
• First aid kit and manual
• Emergency food (dry items) and water (packed and sealed)
• Candles and matches in a waterproof container
• Knife
• Chlorine tablets or powdered water purifiers
• Can opener
• Essential medicines
• Cash and credit cards
• Thick ropes and cords
• Sturdy shoes

NDMA does not specify a quantity for any of these items ¹.

Which documents should go in the kit?

A former NDMA page on the basic disaster supplies kit, last updated in December 2013, adds ²:

• Important papers (ration card, voter ID card, Aadhaar card, etc.)

For how to protect and copy documents, see important documents.

What should I add when a cyclone warning is issued?

NDMA's cyclone guidance adds three items ³:

• Extra drinking water stored in suitably covered vessels
• Food that can be eaten without cooking
• Essentials for the family, including medicines and special food for babies, children or elders, enough "to last a few days" (when evacuation is instructed)

This is the only duration NDMA gives in its household advice ³. More on the official approach: emergency supplies in India.

How do I fill the gaps the list leaves open?

Because the Indian list has no quantities, you choose them. Our general guides can help, without replacing NDMA advice:

• Water: how much water to store per person and water purification
• First aid: first-aid kit
• Light and news: emergency lighting and emergency radio
• Food: emergency food shelf life
• Family members with specific needs: infant supplies, children, seniors and people on medication and pets

What about a ready-made kit?

If you consider a ready-made kit, compare it line by line with the NDMA checklist above: the official list is the reference, not any product.

Frequently asked questions

How many items are on India's official kit list?

Twelve, in NDMA's disaster emergency kit ¹. A former NDMA page also lists important papers ², and the cyclone guidance adds three items when a warning is issued ³.

Does the NDMA list say how much water to keep?

No. It asks for water "packed and sealed" and gives no quantity ¹. Before a cyclone, it adds extra drinking water in covered vessels ³.

Is a radio still on the list?

Yes. A battery operated radio is one of the 12 items ¹.

Does the list include water purification?

Yes: chlorine tablets or powdered water purifiers ¹.

Sources

1. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Government of India — Earthquakes: Do's & Dont's — https://ndma.gov.in/Natural-Hazards/Earthquakes/Dos-Donts (accessed 2026-10-20; checked on archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/20250430010840/http://www.ndma.gov.in/Natural-Hazards/Earthquakes/Dos-Donts)
2. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — Basic Disaster Supplies Kit (last updated 9 December 2013) — http://www.ndma.gov.in/en/build-a-saftey-kit/basic-disaster-supplies-kit.html (accessed 2026-10-20; checked on archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/20151109005914/http://www.ndma.gov.in/en/build-a-saftey-kit/basic-disaster-supplies-kit.html)
3. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — Cyclone: Do's & Dont's — https://ndma.gov.in/Natural-Hazards/Cyclone/Dos-Donts (accessed 2026-10-20; checked on archived copy https://web.archive.org/web/20250517144146/http://www.ndma.gov.in/Natural-Hazards/Cyclone/Dos-Donts)