Sometimes, they just want someone to listen: Inside Hyderabad’s Roshni support helpline

In Hyderabad, Roshni, an emotional support centre, received a call at 8:30 p.m. A volunteer answered the call and conversed with the caller for over two-and-a-half hours. The caller expressed their personal struggles, expressing a desire to cry, vent, or have someone to listen to them. According to Roshni representatives, listening is the primary goal of their support service.

Ratna, a representative, recalled a recent call where the volunteer understood the caller's pain within the first few sentences. However, the conversation did not end there as some callers continued to speak or cry as they unburdened themselves. In 2025, Roshni received 5,610 calls, with the majority coming from young adults aged 18 to 30 (2,537 calls or 45%).

Men accounted for 4,003 calls, while women made up 1,497 calls, and the remaining 110 calls were from individuals who did not identify as exclusively male or female. Mental health concerns were mentioned in 2,151 calls, relationship issues in 1,733 calls, financial problems in 987 calls, and marital issues in 728 calls. The primary service offered by Roshni is 'befriending', where trained volunteers provide a safe space for callers to share and vent their emotions.

For high-risk callers, follow-up calls may be made, and volunteers try to obtain contact information for a support system to ensure the caller's safety. Roshni has been operating in Hyderabad since 1997, with a team of 70 trained volunteers working through shifts seven days a week. Calls have also been received from various parts of the country, including Assam, Kerala, and northern India.