PM Modi pushes work-from-home revival, lower foreign travel & less gold purchases as West Asia conflict heightens concerns

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged citizens to revive work-from-home practices and avoid non-essential foreign travel for at least a year, citing growing concerns over the economic impact of the ongoing West Asia conflict on global energy supplies, fuel prices and supply chains.

Speaking at an event in Secunderabad after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for projects worth nearly Rs 9,400 crore in Telangana, Modi said India must collectively prepare to tackle the economic fallout of the crisis by cutting dependence on imported fuel and conserving foreign exchange.

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He stressed that the country’s response to the evolving global situation should go beyond government action and require public participation through changes in everyday consumption and travel behaviour.

“In this time of global crisis, we have to make a resolution keeping duty paramount and fulfil it with complete dedication,” the Prime Minister said. “A big resolution is to use petrol and diesel sparingly. We must curb our use of petrol and diesel.”

PM Modi draws parallels with Covid-19

Drawing parallels with the Covid-19 pandemic period, Modi said India had already successfully adapted to remote working systems, online meetings and virtual conferences, and suggested that these practices should once again be widely adopted “in the national interest” to reduce fuel consumption linked to commuting and business travel.

“During the Corona period, we developed many systems of work from home, online meetings and video conferences, and we even became accustomed to them. Today, the demands of the times are such that if we restart these systems, it will be in the national interest. We must prioritise work from home, online conferences and virtual meetings again,” he said.

The Prime Minister also urged citizens to help conserve foreign exchange reserves by avoiding non-essential overseas travel and postponing discretionary spending on gold for at least a year. Modi encouraged people to prefer domestic tourism and hold weddings and celebrations within India, saying reduced demand for imported fuel and gold would help cushion the economy against global volatility triggered by the West Asia conflict.

He also made a strong appeal for restraint in overseas travel, particularly discretionary foreign trips. Referring to the increasing trend of destination weddings, vacations and leisure travel abroad among the middle class, Modi said citizens should voluntarily postpone such travel plans during the current crisis period to help reduce pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.

“The growing culture of weddings abroad, travelling abroad and vacationing abroad is becoming prevalent among the middle class. We must decide that during this time of crisis, we should postpone travelling abroad for at least a year,” he said.

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Modi warned that prolonged disruptions in global supply chains due to geopolitical tensions would continue to increase economic difficulties despite domestic policy measures. He said citizens must place “the country and Mother India first” and understand that patriotism also involves fulfilling civic and economic responsibilities during difficult times.

The Prime Minister also advocated greater use of public transport and cleaner mobility options to cut fuel consumption. He urged people living in cities with metro rail networks to prefer metro travel wherever possible, recommended carpooling when private vehicles are necessary, and encouraged electric vehicle owners to maximise EV usage.

He further highlighted the importance of energy security in the current geopolitical environment and said the government was making “unprecedented investments” in strengthening India’s energy infrastructure and reducing vulnerability to external shocks. Modi pointed to the expansion of solar power capacity, ethanol blending in petrol, wider LPG coverage, piped gas infrastructure and the growth of CNG-based transport systems as key pillars of India’s long-term energy transition strategy.

The Prime Minister was speaking after virtually inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for infrastructure projects across Telangana spanning road, railway, petroleum and textile sectors. Key projects included the four-laning of National Highway-167 on the Hyderabad-Panaji Economic Corridor, railway multi-tracking works on the Kazipet-Vijayawada section, a Greenfield Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants terminal in Hyderabad, and the PM MITRA textile park in Warangal.

(With inputs from ANI)