New Delhi, May 11: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will chair a meeting of the Informal Empowered Group of Ministers (IGoM) on Monday at 10:30 am to assess the evolving situation in West Asia. The high-level group, constituted to monitor regional developments, is expected to review emerging security and economic implications linked to the ongoing conflict and discuss the government’s preparedness.
The meeting comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an address in Hyderabad, urged citizens to collectively strengthen India’s economic resilience amid intensifying global tensions. With international conflicts continuing to disrupt supply chains and fuel price stability, the Prime Minister called for a national effort to reduce vulnerabilities and support economic self-reliance.
“Patriotism is not only about the willingness to sacrifice one’s life on the border,” the Prime Minister said. “In these times, it is about living responsibly and fulfilling our duties to the nation in our daily lives.”Framing the moment as one requiring “economic self-defence,” PM Modi outlined a series of behavioural shifts aimed at safeguarding India’s financial health. He urged people to reduce dependence on petrol and diesel by using metro services and public transport, opting for car-pooling, favouring railways for freight movement, and increasing the use of electric vehicles.
Drawing from lessons of the COVID-19 era, he advocated reviving virtual modes of interaction to lower energy usage and reduce the national carbon footprint. He also issued one of his strongest calls yet for conserving foreign exchange, asking citizens to act as “guardians of the Rupee.”
The Prime Minister appealed to the public to avoid unnecessary foreign travel, overseas vacations and destination weddings, encouraging domestic tourism and celebrations within India instead. He also urged people to refrain from non-essential gold purchases for the next year to help reduce pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
PM Modi further encouraged citizens to prioritise Made-in-India products—including shoes, bags, accessories and other daily-use items—and advised households to cut down on edible oil consumption for both economic and health benefits.Addressing the farming community, the Prime Minister advocated a shift towards natural farming, recommending a 50% reduction in chemical inputs. He underscored the role of Indian farmers as essential contributors to the nation’s environmental sustainability and economic independence.
Concluding his remarks, PM Modi emphasised that while global turbulence may persist, India’s strength lies in the “micro-efforts” of its 1.4 billion citizens. He said the next chapter of the nation’s growth would be shaped not only by government policy but by everyday choices at petrol pumps, jewellery shops and dinner tables across the country.