Modi Urges Indians to Work From Home, Cut Gold Purchases and Limit Foreign Travel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to Indians to revive working from home, buy less gold, limit foreign travel, use public transport and carpool. Modi made the appeal at a public event in the southern city of Hyderabad. He said the measures would reduce India's fuel use and help save foreign exchange.

"Patriotism is not only about the willingness to sacrifice one's life on the border," Modi said, according to reports citing his remarks.

Modi urged people to use public transport such as the metro and suggested they carpool to conserve fuel. He asked farmers to reduce use of fertiliser by half and stop buying gold for a year. India is the world's second-biggest buyer of gold after China.

The nearly $100 billion gold jewellery industry could be affected by the call to halt purchases for a year. India has so far avoided raising petrol and diesel prices at the pump. Modi will embark on a five-nation tour from May 15-20, India's foreign ministry said. He is scheduled to visit the UAE on May 15 and will subsequently travel to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy.

The tour is occurring as the Middle East crisis drives up global oil prices and strains India's foreign currency reserves. Many countries have introduced measures to limit the impact on consumers, including China ordering refineries to stop exporting fuel, several Australian states making public transport free or slashing fares, and the Philippines declaring a national emergency with subsidies and a four-day work week for civil servants.

Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi criticised the prime minister's remarks. He said the government was shifting responsibility onto the people and escaping accountability themselves. "Modi's suggestions aren't sermons - these are proofs of failure," Gandhi said in a post on X.