<p>Emergencies are increasing and becoming common in educational institutions. Higher education institutions (HEIs) must adapt innovations to address issues of institutional closure and make swift judgments, with the well-being of all stakeholders as the sacrosanct objective. Individual safety and socio-emotional stability are non-negotiable, which form the ethical foundation. Here, the study examined leadership trends to explore what is effective in the unique context, what could have been done better, and how we may prepare for Indian catastrophes. The study design included a qualitative enquiry in which data were purposively collected from the highest-level academic leaders through teleconference. Using inductive coding, the transcripts were analysed. The study revealed that early comprehension and indigenous critical analysis were lacking in academic institutions. Academic leaders managed human resources and eradicated dysfunction through effective actions and transparent communication. Indian HEI leaders prioritised operational decisions immediately, though reactive leadership, lack of strategic preparedness, and substantial delays in technology adoption emerged as major challenges in emergency education. The study recommends institutional and methodological improvements to ensure the future resilience of higher education, including institutionalising an anticipatory, initiative-driven leadership paradigm, a decentralised yet coordinated decision-making mechanism, and proactive digital transformation strategies to address large-scale crises. While severe health emergencies, climate catastrophes, and war-like situations are becoming the new normal, leading to emergencies for HEIs, the research proposed a contextualised leadership assessment and development framework and autonomy-guided governance, which could serve as adaptable models beyond India’s borders, contributing to the global discourse on academic crisis preparedness for policy-making.</p>