Modi urges Indians to work from home and limit foreign travel as Iran war continues

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to Indians to revive working from home, buy less gold and limit foreign travel to deal with a surge in global energy ​prices because of the continuing crisis in the Middle East.Modi said the austerity measures, reminiscent of the Covid era, would reduce India's fuel use and help save foreign exchange.India imports 90% of its oil and its crude bill has seen a multi-billion dollar spike since the US and Israel's war on Iran, with the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow Gulf chokepoint, shut for more than two-and-a-half months now.Analysts described Modi's appeal, made at a public event in the southern city of Hyderabad on Sunday, as the "most drastic" so far."Patriotism is not only about the willingness to sacrifice one's life on the border. In these times, it is about living responsibly and fulfilling our duties to the nation in our daily lives," Modi said."In the current situation, we must place great emphasis on saving foreign exchange," he added.Urging people to use public ​transport such as the metro, Modi suggested people carpool to conserve fuel. He ​also asked farmers to reduce use of fertiliser ​by half.The effect was visible on Indian markets on Monday - analysts say Modi's comments was one of the reasons the benchmark Sensex index fell more than 1,000 points in early trade amid fears of prolonged economic disruption.