Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday appealed to citizens to reduce the use of imported foreign products and conserve resources as the ongoing conflict in West Asia continues to impact global supply chains and fuel prices.
Addressing an event in Gujarat, Modi said rising import costs and disruptions caused by the conflict were putting pressure on economies across the world, including India.
"India spends lakhs of crores of rupees in foreign exchange to import many products from abroad. At the same time, the prices of imported goods are soaring, and global supply chains have also been severely disrupted," PM Modi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
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Call for small lifestyle changes
The Prime Minister stressed that collective efforts by citizens could help reduce pressure on the country's resources.
"Just as every drop fills a pot, every small and big effort matters. We must reduce the use of products that come from abroad and avoid unnecessary dependence on imported goods in our daily lives, and also avoid such personal activities that involve spending foreign exchange," Modi said.
#WATCH | Gujarat: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, "Even in the earlier decades, whenever the country has gone through war or any other major crisis, every citizen has fulfilled their responsibility in the same way in response to the government's appeal. Today, too, there is a… pic.twitter.com/ydS8y5AApC
— ANI (@ANI) May 11, 2026
He described the ongoing West Asia conflict as one of the most serious crises in recent years.
"The West Asia crisis is one of the worst in the decade; just as we overcame the COVID-19 pandemic, we will come out of this also," the Prime Minister asserted.
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Modi also urged people to increase the use of public transport to save diesel and petrol. Referring to past national crises, he said citizens had always supported government efforts during difficult periods.
"Even in the earlier decades, whenever the country has gone through war or any other major crisis, every citizen has fulfilled their responsibility in the same way in response to the government's appeal," he said.
ఈ రోజు ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా ఏర్పడిన సవాళ్లను మనం అధిగమించాలి. విదేశీ మారక ద్రవ్యాన్ని ఆదా చేయడానికి ఏ మార్గాలైనా ఉంటే, వాటిని తప్పకుండా అనుసరించాలి. pic.twitter.com/okLgcEkecs
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 10, 2026
Appeals linked to rising oil prices
In recent days, Modi has repeatedly called for energy conservation and careful spending as oil prices rise due to the Iran-US conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global oil shipping route.
The Prime Minister has urged citizens to avoid buying gold for a year, postpone foreign travel and adopt work-from-home where possible to help conserve fuel and foreign exchange reserves.
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The latest appeal also triggered criticism from opposition leaders and social media users, who pointed to Modi's frequent roadshows and large convoys while advocating fuel conservation measures.
