By Shakir Husain
HYDERABAD, May 11 (Bernama) -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on citizens to save fuel and curb gold purchases and foreign travel while highlighting the impact of the West Asia conflict on India.
Appealing to people's patriotism, Modi stressed that foreign exchange must be conserved in the national interest.
A number of schemes adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic can be restarted to save fuel, the prime minister said.
"Work from home, online conferencing, virtual meetings, we have to again give priority to these," Modi said at a public rally in Hyderabad on Sunday.
With global fuel prices rising, it is important for India to save money on petroleum imports, he said, and suggested steps like more use of trains, electric vehicles and carpooling.
Referring to the US-Iran war, he said it has had a serious impact on India but the government is trying not to economically burden people.
"But when the supply chain is in constant crisis, no matter what steps we take, problems continue to grow," he said.
Cutting down on foreign travel and gold purchases for a year will help in saving hard currency, Modi said, stressing that this is what "our patriotism is demanding from us."
The prime minister mentioned destination weddings and foreign holidays of the Indian middle-class as a drain on foreign exchange.
Modi said that there were times when people donated gold in times of war and national crises, but this was not needed today.
However, people can decide not to buy gold jewellery regardless of the function taking place at home, he said.
India is the world's second-largest gold consumer, with people traditionally buying jewellery for weddings and during festivals.
It is the third-biggest energy importer and has been reeling from the impact of energy transport disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and high crude prices.
Indian state oil companies recently raised commercial liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder prices by nearly 50 per cent, raising concerns in the food services sector and among business users.
The price of a 19-kg commercial LPG cylinder went up from 2,078.5 rupees (US$22) to 3,071.5 rupees in Delhi after the hike.
The Indian rupee has also been under pressure against the US dollar as the country faces a rising energy import bill.
-- BERNAMA
