Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged citizens to revive some work-from-home practices adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic to reduce fuel consumption and avoid non-essential foreign travel for a year, among a series of measures he proposed to help the country withstand global economic uncertainties and supply chain disruptions amid the West Asia conflict.
Addressing a rally in Hyderabad, Modi called for “nationally responsible” lifestyle choices during the crisis and said people should place “the country above all else”.
Nation First Duty Above Comfort!
PM @narendramodi gave 7 important appeals to strengthen India during challenging global times prioritize work from home wherever possible, reduce fuel consumption, avoid foreign travel for a year, adopt Swadeshi products, cut down cooking oil… pic.twitter.com/jhDGYTarH6
— MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) May 10, 2026 Referring to the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz and rising energy prices, Modi said that imported petroleum products should be used “only as per need” to lessen the impact of the conflict on India’s economy.
India imports 88% of its crude oil needs and about half of its natural gas requirement. This mostly comes through the strait, which has been effectively blocked due to the conflict in West Asia.
Modi urged people to use metros in cities where it is available and “use carpooling to go to places, and use the railways…to transport goods”.
“This will reduce dependency on petrol and diesel,” the prime minister said. “And thereby cut the dependence on foreign currency.”
The prime minister also appealed to citizens to avoid overseas holidays and destination weddings abroad for one year, saying that conserving foreign exchange reserves was “an act of patriotism”. He also advised to avoid non-essential gold purchases during the same period to reduce pressure on foreign exchange outflows.
Talking about the measures adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic, Modi said: “We have developed work from home, virtual meetings, video conferencing and many other methods during corona.”
“We got habituated to it,” the prime minister said. “The need of the hour is to resume those methods.”
Modi also appealed to families to reduce edible oil consumption, saying the move would benefit both the economy and public health. Farmers were urged to cut chemical fertiliser use by up to 50% and gradually transition towards natural farming practices.
The prime minister urged citizens to prioritise Indian-made products over foreign brands, including daily-use goods such as shoes, bags and accessories.
His remarks came as state-owned oil marketing companies face mounting pressure as global crude prices continue to rise amid the conflict.
The price of benchmark Brent crude was trading at $104.8 per barrel on Monday. The price of Brent was $78 per barrel on February 27, a day before the conflict started.
Petrol in Delhi is currently priced at Rs 94.7 per litre, diesel at Rs 87.6 per litre and domestic liquified petroleum gas at Rs 913 per 14.2-kg cylinder.
The war
The US and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, claiming that Tehran’s action posed an existential threat to Israel. Washington acts as a guarantor of Israel’s security. Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in the region, targeting major cities in Gulf countries and ships.
Tehran also effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterbody connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, for most international commercial vessels, triggering a global energy crisis. About 20% of global petroleum supply passes through the maritime chokepoint.
The peace talks between Iran and the US that were held in Islamabad, Pakistan collapsed on April 12 but the ceasefire in the region has largely held.
Israel has been claiming that Iran is close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, which could alter the regional security balance. Tehran has long maintained that its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes.
Written by Sara Varghese. Edited by Tanya Shrivastava
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