Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indians to curb spending on fuel, gold, and foreign travel as the country grapples with economic strain triggered by the war in Iran. In a national address following a major state election victory, he called on citizens to embrace 'patriotism' by reducing imports, conserving energy, and helping protect foreign exchange reserves as the rupee weakens and inflation rises.

Modi asked people to cut back on gasoline and diesel use, increase remote work, rely more on electric vehicles, and avoid overseas holidays. He also encouraged farmers to adopt solar-powered equipment and pressed families to forgo gold purchases for a year, noting that gold makes up a significant share of India's import bill. State-owned oil companies are reportedly absorbing heavy losses to shield consumers from rising global energy prices.

India has so far softened the impact of the energy crisis by running higher budget deficits, but financial pressures are mounting. Analysts say the government may soon move from voluntary appeals to mandatory measures. Modi has previously called for public sacrifice during major policy shifts, with mixed political results, and is now signaling that further belt-tightening may be unavoidable.