PM Modi urges shift to EVs, solar irrigation to offset global disruptions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday used a public address in Hyderabad to lay out what amounted to a citizen’s blueprint for navigating the ongoing global economic turbulence — and at the centre of it sat a clear push toward electric mobility and use of renewable energy in agriculture.

Speaking against the backdrop of international supply chain disruptions and fuel price volatility driven by ongoing global conflicts, the prime minister reframed the idea of patriotism for peacetime, arguing that responsible daily choices carry the same national value as sacrifice on the battlefield.

The EV Push

On transportation, PM Modi made his ask explicit. He called on Indians to move away from petrol and diesel dependence through a combination of behavioural shifts: using metro rail and public transport where available, car-pooling when private vehicles are unavoidable, and preferring railways for the movement of goods. Most pointedly, he urged a broad increase in the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) wherever possible — positioning the shift not merely as an environmental choice but as a direct lever for reducing India’s exposure to volatile global fuel markets.

PM Modi also called for a revival of the work-from-home and virtual meeting culture that gained ground during the COVID-19 pandemic, framing remote work infrastructure as a tool to cut both the national carbon footprint and the country’s overall energy import bill.

Solar Over Diesel on the Farm

For India’s farming community, PM’s address carried an equally pointed message. He urged farmers to move away from diesel-powered irrigation pumps and adopt solar-powered alternatives — a shift that would reduce both operational costs and dependence on imported fuel. The push for solar irrigation sat alongside a broader call for natural farming practices and a 50 percent reduction in chemical fertiliser use, with the Prime Minister positioning Indian farmers as active participants in the country’s drive for environmental and economic self-reliance.

Conserving the Rupee

Beyond energy, PM Modi addressed foreign exchange outflows with unusual directness. He appealed to citizens to skip unnecessary foreign travel, overseas holidays and weddings abroad, encouraging domestic tourism and celebrations held within the country instead. He also asked people to hold off on non-essential gold purchases for a year to ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

PM Modi also urged citizens to actively choose Made-in-India products for everyday items — shoes, bags, accessories — and households were asked to bring down edible oil consumption, which he linked to both economic and personal health benefits.

PM’s speech underlined that India’s resilience in a disrupted global order will not be built through policy alone. From the choice of vehicle on the morning commute to the type of pump drawing water in a paddy field, PM Modi’s message was that the country’s next phase of economic strength would be assembled from millions of individual decisions made at the ground level.

This article has been republished from The Moneycontrol.com