Emphasising the need to shield India from the adverse impact of the escalating conflict in West Asia, prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Sunday urged citizens to adopt restraint in fuel consumption, postpone non-essential foreign travel and gold purchases and revive COVID-era efficiency measures such as work from home to help conserve foreign exchange reserves and strengthen the economy.
Addressing a gathering organised by the Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Hyderabad, PM Modi says global conflicts were disrupting supply chains, pushing up energy prices and creating economic uncertainty, making collective public participation essential to protect India’s economic stability.
Calling for a 'nation first above personal comfort' approach, the prime minister says patriotism is not only about sacrificing one’s life for the country, but also about living responsibly and fulfilling duties towards the nation during difficult times.
“Today, the need of the hour is to use petrol, gas, diesel and similar resources with restraint. We must use imported petroleum products only as needed. This will not only save foreign exchange but also reduce the adverse impact of war,” PM Modi says.
India imports nearly 90% of its crude oil requirement, making the country vulnerable to disruptions in global energy supplies and rising crude prices triggered by tensions in West Asia and the prolonged blockade around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route.
The prime minister urged citizens living in urban areas to increasingly use metro rail networks and public transport instead of private vehicles, to adopt carpooling wherever possible and to reduce unnecessary travel to cut fuel consumption.
He also encouraged wider use of electric vehicles and appealed to businesses to shift parcel and cargo movement to rail rather than road transport to reduce diesel dependence.
PM Modi called for the revival of practices adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, including work-from-home arrangements, virtual meetings, video conferencing and online events, saying such measures could significantly reduce fuel consumption in the national interest.
“If we make a few small changes for a year, we can save substantial foreign exchange,” he says.
In one of his strongest public appeals for economic restraint, the prime minister asked citizens to postpone non-essential foreign travel, overseas vacations, and destination weddings for at least a year. He urged families to promote domestic tourism and celebrations within India to help conserve foreign exchange reserves.
PM Modi also appealed to people to avoid non-essential gold purchases for one year, particularly amid rising imports and global uncertainty, saying reduced gold imports would ease pressure on India’s forex reserves.
The prime minister further encouraged citizens to prioritise made-in-India products and support locally manufactured goods, including everyday items such as shoes, bags, toothpaste and accessories.
Highlighting the government’s energy diversification efforts, PM Modi says India had emerged among the leading countries in solar power generation and had significantly expanded ethanol blending in petrol.
“In recent years, India has reached the top among countries in solar power. Unprecedented work has been done in ethanol blending in petrol. First, we focused on 100% LPG coverage; now, we are focusing on cheaper piped gas and promoting CNG-based systems,” he says.
“Because of such efforts, India is facing this huge global energy crisis strongly,” he added.
The prime minister also appealed to farmers to reduce chemical fertiliser use by 50%, adopt natural farming practices, and switch to solar-powered irrigation pumps rather than diesel-operated pumps to reduce import dependence and protect soil health.
Referring to cooking oil imports, PM Modi suggested reducing edible oil consumption by 50%, saying the step would not only help the economy but also improve personal health.
“Our government is working tirelessly to navigate these challenges. In other countries, a bag of urea costs around ₹3,000, but our farmers are getting it for just Rs300,” he says.
The prime minister’s remarks come amid mounting concerns about disruptions to global oil and gas supplies due to ongoing instability in West Asia. Media reports indicated that India is monitoring the situation closely while exploring measures to maintain domestic fuel stability. Oil marketing companies (OMCs) have so far not increased retail fuel prices, despite rising crude costs, though pressure on refiners has mounted over the past three months.
Meanwhile, Congress leader and leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticised PM Modi’s remarks, calling them 'evidence of failure'.
In a post on X on Monday, Mr Gandhi says, “Yesterday, Modi Ji called upon the public to make sacrifices — do not buy gold, do not travel abroad, consume less petrol, cut down on fertilisers and cooking oil, take the Metro, and work from home.”
He alleged that the prime minister was no longer capable of effectively running the country and described the appeal as a sign of economic distress.
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