Modi urges India to cut fuel consumption amid Middle East war disruption

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called on the country to reduce fuel consumption as a precautionary response to supply disruptions stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict, underscoring the war's widening economic footprint across major energy-importing nations. The appeal reflects growing anxiety in New Delhi about energy security as the conflict continues to threaten key shipping corridors.

India imports a significant share of its crude oil from the Gulf region, making it highly sensitive to any disruption in Middle East supply chains or to volatility in global oil prices. Modi's public call for conservation is a rare direct acknowledgment by an Indian head of government of the country's exposure to external energy shocks, and signals that the war's economic consequences are being felt at the highest levels of Indian policymaking.

The Middle East conflict has already strained key maritime routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, through which a substantial portion of global crude passes. Any sustained escalation risks further tightening supply and pushing global oil prices higher, with knock-on effects across South and Southeast Asia.

For Pakistan, which faces its own acute energy import challenges and fiscal constraints, the regional dynamic adds further pressure. Higher global oil prices translate directly into an expanded import bill, widening the trade deficit and complicating the government's efforts to stabilise its external accounts under IMF oversight.