Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reduced his motorcade to save fuel, days after urging the public to adopt austerity amid surging energy prices. Security coverage remains in place under Special Protection Group protocols, and reductions were applied for visits to Gujarat and Assam. Modi also requested electric vehicles be used where feasible without new purchases. The move reflects concerns that higher oil prices could widen India’s current account deficit and increase inflationary pressure.
Modi Shrinks Motorcade to Conserve Fuel After Call for National Austerity, Source Says
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters as the BJP won the Assam state assembly election and was on course to win West Bengal, in New Delhi, India, May 4, 2026. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "significantly" reduced the size of his motorcade to conserve fuel, a government source told Reuters on May 13. The move comes days after Modi urged citizens to adopt austerity measures as global energy prices surged amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
On Sunday, Modi appealed for voluntary cutbacks including avoiding unnecessary foreign travel, using public transport, reducing gold purchases and trimming cooking oil consumption to help protect the country's foreign exchange reserves.
Critics on social media questioned the scale of motorcades used by senior politicians, Modi’s domestic air travel and his planned trip to Europe on an official aircraft following the appeal. The government source said the number of vehicles in Modi’s motorcade was curtailed while preserving essential security elements in line with Special Protection Group (SPG) protocols, but did not disclose the new convoy size. Before the reduction, the motorcade was reported to include about a dozen vehicles.
The source said motorcades were scaled down for Modi’s visits this week to his home state of Gujarat and to the northeastern state of Assam. The prime minister also requested that electric vehicles be used in his motorcade where feasible, without authorising any new vehicle purchases.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media. The Prime Minister’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Economic Context
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer and consumer, relies heavily on shipments that transit the Strait of Hormuz. Disruptions and higher crude prices linked to broader Middle East tensions risk widening India’s current account deficit, slowing growth and stoking inflation. So far, India has avoided raising petrol and diesel prices, but authorities consider an increase likely if global energy costs remain elevated.
(Reporting by Saurabh Sharma; Writing by Shanima Aniyeri in Mumbai; Editing by YP Rajesh and Kate Mayberry)
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