‘Whenever India faces war or…’: PM Modi urges citizens to fulfill responsibilities amid Middle East crisis

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi A collective national effort was called for on Monday to reduce dependence on imports and strengthen India’s position in global supply chains, while citizens were urged to avoid unnecessary foreign exchange expenditures at a time of global uncertainty.Amid concerns over disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and volatility in global energy markets, the Prime Minister, speaking in Vadodara, said India is constantly striving to become a major player in international supply chains.Prime Minister Modi said: “We are constantly working to make India a major player in the global supply chain.” He emphasized that India must use the current challenges as an opportunity to strengthen self-reliance and domestic manufacturing capabilities.The Prime Minister also called on citizens to support the government’s efforts to consciously reduce import dependence and avoid activities involving excessive outflows of foreign exchange.“We must make every effort to reduce the use of imports and avoid personal activities that involve spending foreign currency,” he said.Prime Minister Modi said that compared to previous national crises, Indians have historically responded with unity and responsibility when the country faced war or major challenges.“Whenever India faces war or any major crisis, citizens fulfill their responsibilities as per the government’s call. We need to do the same now,” the Prime Minister said.“Even in the past few decades, whenever the country went through war or any other major crisis, every citizen responded to the government’s call in the same way and fulfilled their responsibilities. Today, too, we all need to come together to fulfill our responsibilities and reduce the burden on the country’s resources.” India spends billions of rupees in foreign exchange to import many products from abroad. At the same time, prices for imported goods have soared and global supply chains have been severely disrupted. Just as every drop of water fills a pot, every effort, big or small, counts. We must reduce the use of products from abroad, avoid unnecessary reliance on imported goods in our daily lives, and avoid such personal activities involving foreign exchange. ” Prime Minister Modi said.He also reiterated calls to reduce fuel consumption and switch to public transportation or electric vehicles, while once again urging people to delay buying gold.The comments come as the government closely monitors the impact of conflict in the Middle East on global oil prices, shipping routes and supply chains.