This chapter introduces the complex and multilayered phenomenon of reverse migration in India triggered by the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis. Divided into eight focused sections, the chapter traces the historical patterns of internal migration in India, examines the cascading socioeconomic disruptions caused by the pandemic, and highlights how the sudden reversal of migratory flows reshaped India’s migration mosaic. Drawing on secondary sources of information, the chapter delves into the lived realities of migrant workers who faced loss of livelihood, displacement, and uncertainty during the lockdown. It articulates the study’s problem statement, research purpose, and methodological framework while offering a structured roadmap of the volume’s thematic exploration. Providing a foundation to migration scholarship, this chapter reframes reverse migration as a critical lens through which to examine social inequality, crisis vulnerability, and the pressing need for inclusive recovery strategies in post-pandemic India.