Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to use petrol, diesel and gas “with great restraint” amid continuing global energy supply concerns linked to the ongoing West Asia crisis. Addressing an event in Hyderabad on Sunday, Modi said imported petroleum products should be consumed only when necessary, adding that lower fuel consumption would help reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves and limit the economic impact of global disruptions on India.
- PM also urged to use public transport and revive work-from-home
- Prices of vehicles could go up further due to supply chain disruptions
"We must curb our use of petrol and diesel. In cities with metro lines, we should decide to travel by metro only. If we must use a car, then we should try to carpool. People with electric vehicles should try to use them as much as possible," said Modi.
The Prime Minister also urged citizens to avoid non-essential foreign travel and revive work-from-home where applicable, drawing parallels to the Covid-19 pandemic period.
“During the Corona period, we developed many systems of work from home, online meetings, and video conferences, and we even became accustomed to them. We must prioritise work from home, online conferences, and virtual meetings again,” he added.
Price hike could be on the horizon
India’s automakers could be staring at another round of price hikes as rising commodity costs, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions are putting pressure on their margins, despite demand recovering following the GST rationalisation. Inflation in key raw materials such as steel, aluminium, copper and platinum group metals is forcing companies to revisit pricing strategies, despite ongoing efforts to offset costs through localisation, value engineering and operational efficiencies.
Carmakers including Tata Motors, JSW MG Motor India, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Mahindra, Force Motors and Toyota have either implemented or announced price increases from April 2026 onwards.