The Centre on Monday moved to reassure consumers over fuel availability after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to cut fuel consumption and adopt more prudent usage habits amid rising geopolitical tensions and elevated global energy prices.
Speaking at an industry event, Oil Secretary Neeraj Mittal said India has maintained a 60-day stockpile of crude oil and petroleum products, stressing that there is no fuel shortage in the country.
“India supplies are sufficient, there are no plans to ration fuels,” Mittal said.
He added that the government is also exploring new models to strengthen India's strategic reserves of oil, LPG and LNG to improve long-term energy security.
“India has maintained 60-day stock of oil and products,” the oil secretary said, while acknowledging that global supply disruptions continue to remain a challenge for energy markets.
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The clarification comes a day after Modi, addressing a public gathering in Secunderabad on Sunday, appealed to citizens to reduce dependence on imported fuels and conserve foreign exchange in view of mounting global uncertainties linked to the West Asia crisis.
The Prime Minister urged people to revive work-from-home practices adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic, use public transport and metros wherever possible, opt for carpooling and increase the adoption of electric vehicles.
He also called for greater use of railway transportation for goods movement to reduce diesel consumption and encouraged citizens to avoid discretionary spending such as overseas travel and gold purchases for a year.
“We have to save foreign exchange by any means,” Modi had said, warning that the ongoing conflict in West Asia had sharply increased petrol and fertiliser prices.
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The Prime Minister further appealed to households to reduce edible oil consumption and shift towards natural farming practices to lower dependence on imported fertilisers and edible oils.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary to PM Shaktikanta Das and senior government officials reiterated that India's macroeconomic fundamentals remain stable despite global volatility.
At the same industry event, he said the government continues to prioritise bioenergy and green hydrogen while maintaining focus on economic reforms and fiscal stability.
“Supply disruption will continue to impose high costs,” he said, underlining the need for energy efficiency and strategic preparedness as geopolitical tensions persist.
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