Modi Urges Fuel Cuts, Remote Work and Rail Freight Shift

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 10 in Hyderabad urged Indians to cut petrol and diesel use, revive remote work and move more freight onto railways to reduce fuel consumption as oil flows tightened after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Modi framed the requests as a national duty. “In this time of global crisis, we have to make a resolution keeping duty paramount and fulfil it with complete dedication. A big resolution is to use petrol and diesel sparingly,” he said.

He called for greater use of electric vehicles, fewer private-car short trips and for businesses to reintroduce work-from-home arrangements used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Modi also asked citizens to postpone foreign travel and gold purchases for a year, to cut cooking oil consumption and urged farmers to reduce fertilizer use by up to 50% as part of broader conservation measures.

Indian officials said the measures aim to protect foreign exchange reserves and limit the impact of higher global fuel and commodity prices on the country’s import bill.

The Strait of Hormuz closure, linked to the US-Iran conflict, has disrupted transfers from the Persian Gulf and led to sharp declines in global oil inventories, increasing the risk of price spikes and shortages.

Several governments have taken comparable steps. The Philippines declared a national energy emergency. Bangladesh temporarily closed public and private universities to conserve power and fuel. Pakistan shifted government staff to a four-day workweek and temporarily closed some schools. South Korea asked private vehicle owners to refrain from driving one day each week. Cambodia and Malaysia set limits on air conditioner temperatures.

Indian authorities are also pursuing longer-term changes to lower oil dependence. The government is promoting electric vehicle adoption and plans to expand rail freight capacity and improve logistics to reduce diesel use by long-haul trucking, a process officials say will require coordination with state railways and industry.

Economists and market analysts say the rapid drawdown in oil stocks will keep pressure on import-dependent economies, and that household and industrial conservation measures, combined with government policies, may be needed while supply conditions remain uncertain.