Since the start of the US-Iran War in February 2026, the prices of crude oil, fertilizers, and some other metals have spiked. The depreciation of the Indian Rupee has further made imports of these even costlier. Initially, it seemed the war would end quickly, the raw material prices would cool, and the Government would be able to absorb the temporary price spike. However, the US-Iran standoff continues, and raw material prices remain elevated.
Hence, in May 2026, Prime Minister Modi made the ‘Nation First’ appeal to citizens. He has requested that citizens help reduce imports, use Indian products, and strengthen India’s resilience amidst the global crisis. In this article, we will discuss PM Modi’s appeals and how following them can help the nation along with improving your personal finances.
Nation First appeal
The appeals made by PM Modi to citizens include the following.
- Reduce fuel consumption
India imports more than 80% of its crude oil requirements, making it one of the biggest import items. Petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel (ATF), etc., are all byproducts of crude oil. Higher crude oil prices and the depreciation of the Indian Rupee are both increasing the imported price of crude oil.
PM Modi has appealed to people to use public transport or do carpooling. Instead of using your personal vehicle, you can travel by public transport, such as the metro or bus. When you do that, you reduce your fuel consumption, thereby helping reduce our country’s crude oil imports, saving our foreign exchange reserves, and also saving your own money on fuel expenses.
Travel by public transport is much cheaper compared to personal transport. Also, using public transport prevents the wear and tear of your personal vehicle.
By switching to an electric vehicle (EV), you can opt out of petrol and diesel consumption at a personal level. Also, the per-kilometer running cost of an electric vehicle is far lower than that of an ICE vehicle running on petrol or diesel. Thus, with an EV, you can save a significant amount each month on fuel costs, such as petrol and diesel.
2. Work from home
Many individuals spend a couple of hours on their daily commute from home to office and back. PM Modi has appealed to corporates to allow employees to work from home to the extent possible. Working from home has benefits such as saving time on daily commuting, reducing pollution if you use an ICE engine vehicle, reduction in fuel costs, avoiding traffic congestion, etc.
By working from home, you can avoid the travel fatigue involved in long office commutes. The time saved on daily office commutes can be used for spending quality time with family, exercising (gym, yoga, etc.), professional or personal skill development, etc.
Even if most corporates allow their employees, wherever possible, to work from home for a couple of days per week, it will significantly reduce petrol/diesel consumption. It will reduce the country’s crude oil imports.
3. Cut down use of cooking oil
Just as India imports a lot of crude oil, it also imports a lot of cooking oil. Cooking oils are one of the biggest import items, with more than 50% of the country’s requirements coming through imports. It results in a significant outflow of precious foreign exchange reserves.
PM Modi has appealed to people to reduce their cooking oil consumption to the extent possible. Reducing cooking oil consumption will help in two ways. First, it will reduce the requirement to import it. Second, it will help you improve your health.
4. Adopt natural farming
Many of the chemical fertilizers or their ingredients are imported. Some of these imports come from the Middle East. Since the start of the US-Iran War, the prices of a lot of these chemicals have spiked. Also, with ship movements in the Strait of Hormuz restricted, procuring an adequate supply of these chemicals even at higher prices is a challenge.
PM Modi has appealed for adoption of natural farming as much as possible. It can be done using locally available ingredients, without relying on imported chemicals. It will help save our precious foreign exchange reserves. Natural farming offers benefits such as sustainability, keeping the soil healthy, higher crop yields, etc. All of these support the income of farmers.
The Union Budget 2026 has allocated Rs. 1.71 lakh crores towards fertilizer subsidies. The amount already forms a significant portion of the overall subsidies. However, with the current spike in the price of imported chemical fertilizers, the budgetary allocation may fall short. Hence, the appeal has been made to shift to natural farming, as it can help reduce chemical fertilizer imports and forex outgo.
5. Buy Indian goods
PM Modi has appealed to the citizens to buy products that are ‘Made in India’. When you buy Swadeshi goods, you are giving business to SMEs and MSMEs. The orders for their goods create job opportunities in these organisations. When you choose domestically manufactured products over imported products, you save the outgo for foreign exchange.
So, by using ‘Made in India’ products, on one hand, you support local companies, and on the other hand, you help save our forex reserves.
6. Avoid foreign travel for one year
India is a very diverse country with a rich heritage that can be explored with domestic tourism. PM Modi has appealed to Indian citizens to avoid foreign travel for one year, as it drains forex reserves. Instead, by vacationing in India, you will support the domestic tourism industry, including hotels and their employees, travel guides, local restaurants, tourist spots, and other travel services providers.
At the same time, with domestic tourism, you get to experience and learn about India’s rich heritage. You get to meet local people in various regions, learn about their culture, and enjoy various cuisines across different parts of India. India’s diverse landscape offers a variety of vacation options, including beaches, hill stations, jungle safaris, and spiritual destinations.
You can use this one year to accumulate money for your next international trip. Next year, once the external situation improves, you can take an international vacation.
7. Avoid buying gold for one year
We Indians love our gold. Hence, India is one of the world’s largest gold importers, which leads to an outflow of a considerable amount of foreign exchange every year. So, PM Modi has appealed to people to avoid buying gold for one year.
Instead of buying gold and keeping it in a locker, you can defer the purchase for one year. Instead, you can invest that money in other asset classes like domestic equity mutual funds, fixed income, etc., based on your risk profile.
PM’s Nation First call: Contribute to nation building
We have discussed the seven appeals that PM Modi has made to the citizens. By following the PM’s appeals, you can help in reducing India’s precious forex outgo. At the same time, by consuming domestic products and engaging in domestic tourism, you can support the domestic industry. Thus, by following the PM’s Nation First call, you can contribute to nation building.
At the same time, by avoiding or reducing certain spends, you can save money and improve your personal finances. You can use the saved amount to invest towards your financial goals and achieve them sooner than scheduled.
