On May 13, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a 50% reduction in the size of his official convoy and called for wider use of electric vehicles as part of an austerity drive to cut fuel consumption amid economic pressures from the West Asia crisis. The Special Protection Group has been instructed to scale down vehicles in the Prime Minister’s convoy while maintaining mandatory security protocols, news agency ANI reported, and officials say the changes are already being implemented.
Modi has been travelling with noticeably smaller convoys during recent visits to Gujarat and Assam, including appearances in Vadodara and Guwahati, following his appeal for restraint at a BJP rally in Hyderabad. The Prime Minister urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel use, make greater use of metro services, carpool, shift toward electric vehicles, embrace work-from-home arrangements, and rethink non-essential spending to conserve foreign exchange as global oil prices stay volatile.
State and allied leaders have moved quickly to follow suit. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered an immediate 50% cut in official vehicle fleets for the chief minister, ministers and senior officials, and urged ministers, MPs, MLAs and public representatives to use public transport at least one day a week; the state office also appealed for prioritising work-from-home and recommended advisory measures for large institutions. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced his convoy will operate with the minimum vehicles required and appealed to colleagues to use public transport.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directed sharp reductions in official vehicle use across the administration and instructed officials and BJP representatives to prioritise carpooling and public transport. Rajasthan’s chief minister likewise ordered officials to minimise convoy sizes and avoid unnecessary vehicle deployment. In Maharashtra, ministers now require prior approval from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s office before using government aircraft, effectively curbing non-essential official flights.
Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat said he will travel by train, state buses and other public transport rather than helicopters or flights, while Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi cancelled a planned trip to the United States. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary said he has halved the number of vehicles in his convoy and will limit official travel to when it is absolutely necessary.
Beyond immediate fuel savings, Modi urged longer-term shifts — including reduced gold purchases for a year, lower edible oil consumption, less dependence on chemical fertilisers, and wider adoption of natural farming and locally made products — positioning the measures as necessary steps to shield India’s economy from the fallout of instability in West Asia.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/india/pm-modi-halves-convoy-size-in-fuel-saving-push-bjp-leaders-follow-suit-14010653.html
Category: India
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Publish Date: 2026-05-13 12:00:00
