He was among the first few respondents to the rescue operations and was specially chosen to undertaken the task due to his vast experience.
He has air transported more than 5200 Kg of relief material and saved 626 people in about 56 sorties flown by him during ‘Op Rahat’.
He has played a pivotal role on at least three different occasions wherein he undertook conspicuously daring missions while ensuring the safety of his aircraft and his team.
On 20 Jun 13, Wg Cdr Naidu winched down two civilian mountaineers on a small ledge surrounded by high obstruction and high tension cable near ‘Jungle Chatti’. Subsequently, he also winched down another 10 ITBP personnel equipped with critical equipment required to prepare a makeshift helipad.
This courageous and skillful operation paved the way for other helicopters to land at the ‘Jungle Chatti’ ledge and eventually resulted in evacuating more than 700 stranded pilgrims.
On 25 Jun 13, after an IAF helicopter went missing during the operations, Wg Cdr Naidu volunteered for the search mission and managed to locate the crash site. Mindful of the need to access the crash site he winced down four Garud Commandos at almost 10,000 ft, under extremely inclement weather, once again demonstrating conspicuous courage and exceptional flying skill.
On 11 Jul 13, while his helicopter was parked at night at an ITBP helipad at Gaucher when an impending landslide alert was issued, he acted swiftly and with amazing alacrity despite it being totally dark in the middle of the night.
His courageous actions in the face of grave personal risks to his life resulted in saving a precious national asset which would have perished, if left unattended. In all the above instance, the officer has displayed distinct gallantry and professionalism of an exceptional order while undertaking extremely critical missions in response to this grave national disaster.
For these acts of conspicuous bravery, Wing Commander Nikhil Naidu is recommended for the award of Shaurya Chakra.