Import & Export

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called on Indians to use petroleum products with greater restraint in the face of the ongoing West Asia crisis, warning that unchecked consumption of imported fuels could drain the country's foreign exchange reserves and deepen the economic fallout from the conflict. Addressing a high-profile event in Hyderabad, where he virtually laid the foundation stone and inaugurated a series of development projects worth approximately ₹7,400 crore across Telangana, Modi underscored the urgency of the moment. He stressed that imported petro products  including petrol, diesel, and gas should be consumed only as per genuine need, a disciplined approach that he argued would simultaneously protect India's foreign exchange and blunt the adverse economic consequences of global conflict. "Today, the need of the hour is also to use petrol, gas, diesel and such things with great restraint. We have to use imported petro products only as per need. This will not only save foreign exchange but reduce the adverse impact of war," Modi said during his address. The Prime Minister took the opportunity to highlight the significant strides India has made in building energy self-reliance over the past several years. He noted that India has risen to rank among the world's top nations in solar power generation, a milestone he described as reflecting unprecedented commitment to clean and renewable energy. He also pointed to major achievements in ethanol blending in petrol as part of the country's broader energy transition strategy. Beyond renewables, Modi outlined the government's multi-pronged approach to reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. He noted that the government had initially focused on achieving 100 per cent LPG coverage across households and has now shifted its attention to the economical supply of piped natural gas at the doorstep of Indian families.