Women Helpline Numbers in India (2026 List)

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The short answer

In an emergency anywhere in India, call 112, which works in all 36 states and union territories. For violence or harassment at home, at work or in public, call 181, the Women Helpline, which links you to police, hospitals, legal aid and One Stop Centres. The National Commission for Women answers on 14490, round the clock. Use 1930 for online fraud and 1098 for a child in danger.

Call 112 for any emergency happening now. It works across India, day and night.
181 is the Women Helpline for violence or harassment, with referrals to police, shelter, legal aid and counselling.
The NCW helpline is 14490, linked to 7827170170, for women and girls above 18.
Local numbers differ: 1090 is a women's line in Uttar Pradesh but a senior citizens' line in Mumbai.
Report online fraud on 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in as quickly as you can.

This page is for any woman in India who wants the right number ready before she needs it, and for families saving these numbers on a mother's, sister's or daughter's phone. Every number below has been checked against official government or police sources, with what it is for and what happens when you call.

Which number should you call in an emergency in India?

Call 112. It is India's single emergency number for police, fire and medical help, run through the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and it is live in all 36 states and union territories. Older numbers such as 100 (police), 101 (fire), 108 (ambulance) and 181 (Women Helpline) have been integrated with 112, so if you remember only one number, remember this one.

Use 112 when the danger is happening now or about to happen: someone is following you, threatening you or has hurt you, or you are trapped. For help that is serious but not immediate, such as ongoing abuse at home, 181 is often the better first call.

What are the women helpline numbers in India?

These are the national numbers. 112, 181, 14490, 1098, 1930 and 14567 are toll-free.

Number	What it is	When to use it
112	Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), Ministry of Home Affairs	Any emergency happening now: police, fire or ambulance. Round the clock, in every state and union territory.
181	Women Helpline under Mission Shakti, Ministry of Women and Child Development	Violence or harassment at home, at work or in public. Referrals to police, hospitals, legal aid and One Stop Centres, and information on government schemes. Round the clock.
1091	Police women's helpline in some states and cities	Women in distress, where your police force still runs it. Delhi Police and Pune Rural Police list it.
14490 (linked to 7827170170)	National Commission for Women (NCW) helpline	Complaints, counselling and referrals for women and girls above 18. Round the clock.
1098	Child Helpline under Mission Vatsalya, integrated with 112	Any child in crisis, or an adult calling on a child's behalf. Round the clock.
1930 and cybercrime.gov.in	National Cyber Crime Reporting helpline and portal, Ministry of Home Affairs	Online fraud (report at once), online harassment, stalking and abuse.
14567	Elderline, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment	An older woman facing abuse or neglect, or needing information. 8 AM to 8 PM, every day.
139	Rail Madad, Indian Railways	Security or medical help on a train or at a station (press 1), and railway complaints.
108	Ambulance service run by state governments	Medical emergencies. Some states use 102 for patient transport, mainly for pregnant women and children.
One Stop Centre (Sakhi)	District centres under Mission Shakti	Medical aid, legal aid, temporary shelter, police help and counselling under one roof. Reach one through 181.

What happens when you call 112?

Your call reaches the emergency response centre for your state, which coordinates police, fire and health services. Here is what to expect.

A call taker answers and asks what the emergency is. Say it in one line: "A man is following me" or "My neighbour is being beaten".
They ask where you are. ERSS can identify a caller's location automatically, but give a landmark too: a shop, a metro station, a building name.
The nearest available response vehicle is sent through computer-aided dispatch, and the control room tracks it live.
Stay on the line if you safely can, and keep your phone switched on so responders can call you back.

You can also reach ERSS through the 112 India app, which sends your location and alerts your emergency contacts. Our guide to the 112 India app and your phone's SOS button walks through it step by step.

What happens when you call 181?

The person who answers listens, works out what kind of help you need, and connects you to it. The Women Helpline gives referrals to police, hospitals, legal aid and One Stop Centres, along with information on government schemes for women, and the government says it stays with a case until the survivor's issue is resolved.

In practice, an emergency is passed to 112 for a police response, while a woman who needs shelter, counselling or legal help is linked to a One Stop Centre. In Arunachal Pradesh, for example, 181 calls land at the state's Women and Child Development control room and are routed to ERSS-112 or a One Stop Centre depending on the help required. The helpline was operational in 35 states and union territories in December 2025, all except West Bengal, and it has been integrated with 112.

What is the NCW helpline number, and is there a WhatsApp number?

The National Commission for Women runs a round-the-clock helpline on 14490, a toll-free short code linked to its earlier number, 7827170170. Any woman or girl above 18 can call. Trained counsellors register complaints, offer psychological support, and refer callers to police, hospitals, District Legal Services Authorities, Protection Officers and One Stop Centres.

NCW opened a WhatsApp number for domestic violence complaints during the 2020 lockdown, but its current website and contact page list 14490 and an online complaint system, not a WhatsApp line. To complain in writing, use the NCW online complaint portal or email complaintcell-ncw@nic.in. Be cautious of "NCW WhatsApp numbers" forwarded on social media.

What is a One Stop Centre, and how do you reach one?

A One Stop Centre, also called a Sakhi centre, offers medical aid, legal aid and advice, temporary shelter, police assistance and psycho-social counselling under one roof to women affected by violence, whether at home or in public. The centres are fully funded by the central government under Mission Shakti.

By 30 June 2026, 991 One Stop Centres were operational, and they had assisted more than 15.20 lakh women since the scheme began in 2015. States are encouraged to set up at least one in every district. The easiest way to find yours is to call 181 and ask for the nearest centre, or ask at any police station.

What are the women helpline numbers in Delhi, Mumbai and other states?

Many police forces run their own lines on top of 112 and 181. These are listed on official police websites:

Delhi: Delhi Police list 1091 for women in distress, alongside 112. Their senior citizens' line is 1291.
Mumbai: Mumbai Police list 103 as the women helpline and 100 and 112 for the control room, and accept complaints by SMS on 7738133133 and 7738144144.
Pune district (rural areas): Pune Rural Police list 1091 as the woman helpline and 112 for police help.
Uttar Pradesh: UP Police list 1090 for their Mahila Samman Prakoshtha, a police unit for women.

The same number can mean different things in different places. 1090 is a women's line in Uttar Pradesh but the senior citizens' helpline for Mumbai Police and Pune Rural Police. That is one more reason to lead with 112 and 181, which work everywhere.

To find your own state's numbers, whether you live in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kochi or Guwahati, open your state or city police website and look for a "Helpline" or "Women safety" section, check the police force's verified social media accounts, or ask the 112 or 181 call taker. Save what you find in your phone today.

Which number should you call for online harassment or cyber fraud?

Call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal run by the Ministry of Home Affairs. If money has been taken through UPI, a card or a bank account, call 1930 straight away. By 31 December 2025, the government's system for reporting financial cyber fraud had saved more than ₹8,189 crore across more than 23.61 lakh complaints.

The portal has a separate section for crimes against women and children, which you can report anonymously. Keep screenshots, links and phone numbers as evidence before you block anyone. For sexual harassment at work, the Ministry of Women and Child Development's SHe-Box portal lets you file a complaint that is forwarded to the Internal Committee or Local Committee concerned.

How should you save these numbers so they work when you need them?

Save 112, 181 and 14490 under names you will find in a hurry, such as "Emergency 112".
Add your state police women's line and your local police station's number.
Set up your phone's Emergency SOS and emergency contacts, so a few button presses can call for help and share your location.
Save the same numbers on your parents' and children's phones, including feature phones, and write them on a card for the wallet.
Tell one or two people you trust what you want them to do if they ever get an SOS from you.

Some people add a dedicated device for the moments a phone is hard to reach. Kavach, which is coming soon, sends an SOS with your name, the time and a live location link to your emergency contacts by app notification and SMS, with 112 one tap away on the alert screen; it does not call 112 for you.

If you need to report a crime afterwards, you can give information about a cognizable offence at any police station, whatever the area where it happened, under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly Section 154 of the CrPC). Our Zero FIR and e-FIR guide explains how. This is general information, not legal advice.

If you or someone near you is in immediate danger, call 112. It works across India.

Questions people ask

What is the women helpline number in India?

The national Women Helpline number is 181. It is toll-free, works round the clock, and links women facing violence to police, hospitals, legal aid and One Stop Centres. If you are in danger right now, call 112, the single emergency number that works in every state and union territory. The National Commission for Women also runs a 24x7 helpline on 14490.

What is the number for women helpline in Maharashtra?

Dial 112 for any emergency in Maharashtra, and 181 for the Women Helpline. Mumbai Police list 103 as their women helpline and accept complaints by SMS on 7738133133 and 7738144144. Pune Rural Police list 1091 as their woman helpline. For a complaint to the National Commission for Women, call 14490.

What is the women helpline number in Delhi?

In Delhi, call 112 for any emergency. Delhi Police list 1091 for women in distress on their official website, and the national Women Helpline 181 also works in Delhi. For a complaint to the National Commission for Women, call 14490. For online harassment or cyber fraud, call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Does NCW have a WhatsApp number?

The National Commission for Women opened a WhatsApp number for domestic violence complaints during the 2020 lockdown. Its current website and contact page do not list a WhatsApp line. Instead, they list the 24x7 helpline 14490, which is linked to 7827170170, and an online complaint portal. Be cautious of WhatsApp numbers forwarded on social media in NCW's name.

Is 1091 women helpline still working?

1091 is still listed as a women's helpline by some police forces, including Delhi Police and Pune Rural Police. Because emergency numbers have been brought together under 112, the simplest rule is to dial 112 if you are in danger, since it works in every state and union territory. If 1091 does not connect where you are, use 112 or 181.

Is calling 181 free?

Yes. The Women Helpline 181 is toll-free and works round the clock. It runs under the Mission Shakti programme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and was operational in 35 states and union territories in December 2025, all except West Bengal. It has also been integrated with 112, so emergencies can be passed straight to the police.

Sources

Checked on 3 October 2026. Helpline numbers and rules change, so confirm with the official source before you rely on them.

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