The Indian government and leaders of the commercial sector have made a clear demand for a "national mission" to save fuel and safeguard the economy as the world's energy markets are reeling from the protracted conflict in West Asia.
The 5th Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM), presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, convened on Monday to formalise a plan that combines military-grade strategic planning with a public call for widespread engagement, reflecting the COVID-19 pandemic's collective spirit.
The IGoM affirmed that India's immediate energy security is strong despite global volatility. To avoid any domestic panic, the government disclosed a sizable "rolling stock" of reserves.

"Even if the majority of other countries have taken emergency steps to drastically decrease domestic consumption, the IGoM was assured that the country is secure and there is no shortage of any petroleum product. India has 45 days of LPG rolling stock, 60 days of natural gas and 60 days of crude oil. At $703 billion, the foreign exchange reserves are a respectable amount. According to a news release from the Ministry of Defence, India is the fourth-largest exporter of petroleum products and the third-largest oil refiner in the world. It exports to more than 150 nations and fully satisfies local demand.This "collective effort" has enormous financial stakes. Even though the government was able to protect Indian consumers from the immediate sticker shock at the petrol pump, the underlying economic calculations showed why Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the populace to work together to help the nation deal with supply chain difficulties, global economic disruptions, and rising prices brought on by international conflicts.

"The country is bearing a heavy burden due to the persistently high levels of international crude prices. This strain can be lessened by fuel conservation. In order to lessen the financial burden on the country both now and in the future, PM Modi highlighted caution in the use of petroleum products and cutting back on wasteful consumption, according to the announcement.
Furthermore, despite a 70-day international conflict, India is currently in a unique position where domestic petroleum costs remain stable. But this stability is not "free," as significant under-recoveries are used to fund it. Indian Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are losing ₹1,000 crore every day in order to save households from experiencing inflation.

The fiscal burden for the first quarter of 2026 alone is anticipated to be ₹2 lakh crore. To put this in perspective, this is a sizeable amount of the national budget that might otherwise be allocated to healthcare, education, or infrastructure.
"Even after the battle began more than 70 days ago, India is one of the few nations where petroleum prices have remained stable during this era of global turmoil. Prices have gone up by 30 to 70 percent in many countries. In order to prevent Indian residents from bearing the burden of the world's exorbitant pricing, India's oil marketing companies have absorbed losses of around Rs 1,000 crore each day, with under-recoveries reaching nearly Rs 2 lakh crore in Q1 '26.

The announcement stated, "There is no reason for citizens to hurry to retail shops or to be anxious.
In essence, the Prime Minister's request for "collective participation" is an appeal to lower the National Import Bill. Every litre of gasoline or diesel that a person saves by carpooling or using public transportation immediately contributes to maintaining more of the $703 billion reserves, reducing the state's "under-recovery" or subsidy burden, and lowering the demand for dollars to purchase oil, all of which support the stability of the Rupee.

On May 11, 2026, the Prime Minister urged people to cut back on petrol and diesel consumption by using public transport and metro systems, choosing carpooling and conserving foreign exchange reserves by choosing domestic travel and celebrations within India, avoiding non-essential gold purchases for a year and refraining from needless foreign travel.
"Ministries and States must identify, in a coordinated manner, measures to institutionalise fuel efficiency, public awareness, and responsible consumption behaviour," stated Rajnath Singh, urging farmers to cut their use of chemical fertilisers by half, switch to natural farming methods, protect soil health and lessen reliance on imports, and promote the wider adoption of solar-powered irrigation pumps in agriculture.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers Jagat Prakash Nadda, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Science & Technology Dr
They were told that there is an excess of necessities for the populace and that the current conservation efforts are aimed at long-term capacity building in the event that the crisis continues. People don't need to panic or overbuy fuel and other goods because the supply management has been excellent.

The IGoM explained that the current conservation effort is due to the historically high cost of refilling the tanks rather than the fact that they are empty. India may extend its 60-day crude and petrol stockpiles without having to purchase additional oil at "astronomical" peak prices by cutting "wasteful consumption" today.
A brilliant move to lessen reliance on imports is the recommendation that farmers reduce their use of chemical fertilisers by fifty percent. Moving toward natural farming and solar pumps (like the PM-KUSUM program) separates Indian food security from West Asian oil volatility because fertilisers are very energy-intensive to generate and import.

Rajnath Singh praised the government's efforts to guarantee supplies of all necessities in a post on X following the meeting. While all practical measures are being taken to prevent shortages or supply chain interruptions, he asked the public to maintain composure and refrain from any form of panic.
The Defence Minister stressed that maintaining economic stability, securing marine trade routes, and ensuring uninterrupted energy flows are India's top priorities during this phase. He instructed all parties involved to maintain alertness in order to handle any circumstance.

Singh emphasised how urgently India must speed up the process of changing its energy mix, quickly growing alternative energy sources based on renewable energy, finding more dependable and varied energy sources, and boosting investment in energy-efficient technologies. With future energy security in mind, he urged a reassessment of strategic reserve requirements to address problems resulting from supply chain disruptions.
He claimed that in today's interconnected world, any kind of international issue directly or indirectly impacts every country, so the West Asia scenario should not be seen as a singular incident. He emphasised the importance of concentrating on early warning evaluation, scenario planning, strategic crisis anticipation, and prompt whole-of-government preparedness.

This situation is being viewed by the administration as a chance to "institutionalise responsible consumption." The goal of the push for Metros, carpooling, and domestic travel is to build a more robust, independent economy that is not dependent on disruptions in the global supply chain, as opposed to a short-term tightening of belts.
To put it succinctly, the government and the tech sector are making it very evident that individual conservation is now a kind of economic patriotism.
The recent policy initiatives implemented especially to assist industry, including MSMEs, were reported to the IGoM.

The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0, which has a total additional credit flow target of Rs 2,55,000 crore and offers credit guarantee coverage of 100% for MSMEs and 90% for non-MSMEs, as well as the airline sector, was approved by the Union Cabinet on May 5 in order to provide liquidity support to the industry, including MSMEs.
Additionally, the Ministry of Finance has authorised force majeure-related relief measures in response to industry demand for advice regarding "force-majeure-like" risks in public procurement contracts. This includes a Department of Expenditure circular that clarifies that the ongoing crisis should be treated as war for consideration of Force Majeure, allowing performance deadlines to be extended by two to four months starting on February 28.

"India's fertiliser stock position remains robust, with total availability reaching 199.65 lakh tonnes as of May 11, 2026, a significant increase from 178.58 lakh tonnes on the same date last year," the Ministry stated.
The Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) was informed that supplies continue to surpass national needs, as evidenced by significant year-over-year increases in NPKs (from 48.32 to 60.42 lakh tonnes) and DAP (from 14.87 to 22.52 lakh tonnes), guaranteeing a solid agricultural outlook.
According to DA&FW, the fertiliser need for Kharif 2026 is 390.54 LMT, compared to the current stock of roughly 199.65 LMT (more than 51%), which is far higher than the typical level of about 33%.