Narendra Modi News

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: India is looking to accelerate its government fleet electrification programme via its clean energy agency to central ministries, state governments, public sector banks, and autonomous bodies—widening a drive that has so far hardly made a dent in a vehicle fleet of over 800,000 units.Led by the Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a central clean energy agency, the expansion plan will offer state governments and public sector undertakings (PSUs) a leasing-based 'EV as a Service' model that eliminates purchase costs and provides charging infrastructure and maintenance. The model, launched in 2024, will help circumvent the two big barriers to fleet electrification: high capital outlay and logistical complexity.“CESL is also reaching out to public sector banks, central/state governments, PSUs, autonomous bodies, etc., to align with the government’s larger vision of reducing fossil fuel dependence, lowering operational fuel costs and accelerating clean mobility adoption across public institutions,” a CESL spokesperson told Mint.The move comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for increased use of electric vehicles (EVs), and as the finance ministry directed all public sector banks, insurance companies and financial institutions to switch to EVs as part of an austerity programme.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.American hospitality chain Marriott International is betting on a surge in outbound Indian travellers despite temporary disruptions from the West Asia war and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for austerity, with this growth likely to reshape customer loyalty programmes that reward customers with points and perks for repeat stays.The company said loyalty-conscious Indian travellers are increasingly driving demand across Southeast and East Asia, and now expect far more from hotel loyalty programmes than simple earn-and-burn on room nights, including upgrades and experiences beyond stays.“We’re seeing Indian travellers explode into Southeast Asia -- not just Thailand -- but in every destination, from Bali to Japan to South Korea, this summer,” said John Toomey, chief commercial officer for Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China) for Marriott International. He attributed part of the growth to rising air connectivity, led by IndiGo and Air India.The hospitality chain expects travel demand to remain strong through the summer months, with a significant jump in June and July compared to the same time last year.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Committed occupancy levels – office spaces where leases have already been signed with tenants but are yet to commence – for key listed real estate investment trusts (Reits) exceeded the 90% mark in FY26. Management executives at Reits are largely upbeat on demand prospects, providing room for occupancy improvement.Embassy Office Parks REIT sees occupancy rising to 92-93% and Brookfield India Real Estate Trust pegs it at 96%.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India Inc’s debate over work-from-home is returning on a call from prime minister Narendra Modi as part of a strategy to deal with the repurcussions of the West Asia war. This comes at a time artificial intelligence is reshaping jobs and productivity expectations, while macroeconomic pressures—from currency weakness to tighter cash visibility—add a new layer of urgency for chief executives.Mint reached out to Dr Ram Charan, feted global advisor to CEOs and boards, for his views on the tough choices CEOs need to make. Dr Charan, formerly a board member at Hindalco Industries, dwelled on work from home, top CEO worries, how AI will reshape the workplace, and how workers can retrain themselves.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged employees across organizations to work from home (WFH). With fewer commutes, nationwide fuel consumption would fall, making WFH seem like an instant remedy for the current fuel crunch. The critical question, however, is whether WFH is a reversible move.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.The finance ministry, on Monday, has directed all public sector banks, insurance companies, and financial institutions to implement austerity measures, including switching to electric vehicles (EVs), curtailing foreign travel, and shifting to video conferencing for meetings, as the government moves to reduce expenditure and protect the country's financial system from economic instability due to the West Asia war.“All organisations may aim at replacing the petrol and diesel cars hired by them in their head offices and branch offices with electric cars as far as possible,” according to an official circular of the department of financial services (DFS) reviewed by Mint.Earlier this month Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made seven big appeals, austerity measures so to speak, to cushion India from the economic uncertainties arising from the prolonged West Asia war. These included conserving petrol and diesel by using public transport and metro; avoiding purchasing gold for a year, and restricting foreign travel to conserve forex."It is time for us to use petrol, diesel and gas with great care,” Modi said on Sunday while inaugurating projects in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Well, the first days are the hardest daysDon’t you worry anymore‘Cause when life looks like Easy StreetThere is danger at your door —Uncle John’s Band by Grateful DeadPrime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent austerity appeal is like an official acknowledgement that trouble is brewing in India’s economy. His exhortations seemed like a signal to all stakeholders that the time has come to talk about the Iran war’s direct and indirect effects.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Climate Change & You is a fortnightly newsletter written by Bibek Bhattacharya and Sayantan Bera. Subscribe to Mint’s newsletters to get them directly in your inbox.How much nations consume, and how extravagantly, has a direct impact on the health of the planet, via what is known as the carbon footprint of consumption.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.From Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging austerity measures as the West Asia war inflated India’s import bills, to the Centre raising minimum support prices for key kharif crops to ensure food security, retail inflation edging up on rising energy-linked items, the government banning sugar exports to protect domestic supplies, and India among top countries for disaster-related displacements in 2025—here is a compilation of this week’s news in numbers.As the West Asia war disrupts global supply chains and pushes up India’s import bill, PM Modi has urged citizens to adopt austerity measures to ease pressure on the economy.In the public address, Modi called on households to avoid non-essential gold purchases, overseas holidays and destination weddings for a year, while urging farmers to reduce fertilizer use by half.The appeal comes amid mounting stress on India’s external balances, with the rupee weakening and the current account deficit facing renewed pressure.India remains heavily dependent on imports of crude oil, vegetable oils, fertilizers, gold and silver. Trade data show that India imported over $290 billion worth of these commodities in 2025-26 — nearly 38% of the total import bill of $776 billion.Amid heightened global volatility and supply chain concerns stemming from the West Asia war, the Union cabinet this week approved a series of measures aimed at strengthening India’s food security, including higher minimum support prices (MSPs) for key kharif crops.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged higher adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and reduced fossil fuel use amid the ongoing West Asia war, the ministry of heavy industries approved ₹503.86 crore to set up 4,874 public EV chargers.The approval falls under the Centre’s ₹10,900 crore PM E-Drive electric mobility scheme. It marks the first sanction for charging infrastructure under the scheme, which has earmarked ₹2,000 crore for EV chargers and targets 72,300 units nationwide.The move comes as EV penetration rises — about 60% of three-wheelers, 4.8% of cars and 6% of two-wheelers sold in India are now electric — but charging gaps persist.Mint explains the subsidy mechanism and why public charging is critical to India’s electric mobility transition.The PM E-Drive scheme allocates ₹2,000 crore specifically to support EV charging infrastructure.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India's gold imports from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the 2022 trade agreement are drawing fresh attention amid India's push to curb bullion imports to conserve foreign reserves.Gems and jewellery imports from the UAE, dominated by gold, have surged to one-third of India's total shipments in 2025-26, according to commerce ministry data reviewed by Mint.Even as India’s gems and jewellery imports hit a record $71.98 billion in 2025-26, imports from the UAE rose from $14.79 billion in 2022-23 to $27.09 billion in 2024-25, and stood at $24.08 billion during April-February 2025-26.Total gems and jewellery imports from the UAE stood at $15.93 billion in 2021-22, according to the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council.At the same time, utilization of the tariff rate quota (TRQ), which allows a limited quantity of gold imports from the UAE at a duty rate one percentage point lower than the standard rate, has remained modest at about 140 tonnes in 2024-25 and just 8.58 tonnes so far in 2025-26.The trend has raised concerns that higher inflows under the concessional route could dilute the impact of 15% customs duty on gold and silver, as traders may increasingly route imports through the lower-duty quota, weakening efforts to curb imports and manage the trade deficit.It also assumes significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to citizens to avoid buying gold for at least a year, urging them to invest in productive assets instead to help reduce the country’s import burden and strengthen the economy.“The trade agreement does offer some price advantage due to differential duty and would hence need to be monitored.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a clarion call for austerity, the Centre sharply raised import duty on precious metals to save dollars, at a time when the Gulf crisis boosts energy prices, weakens the rupee, and eats into the nation's current account. While economists said the decision could dampen demand and arrest the rupee's fall, others said it may fuel smuggling and impact jobs in the jewellery sector.The finance ministry increased the total import duty on gold, silver and platinum from 9.18% to 18.45%.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI/BENGALURU: Indian jewellery retailers and industry bodies are recalibrating their strategies as gold becomes more expensive following the government’s latest import duty hike. Companies are focusing on gold exchange schemes and lower-karat products to prevent a drop in sales volume.On Tuesday, India raised the effective import tax on gold and silver to 15%, reversing the duty cuts announced two years ago.The move comes as the government attempts to rein in surging precious metal imports and protect India’s foreign exchange reserves amid elevated crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.In his recent public addresses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indians to reduce the use of imported oils—both crude and edible—as part of broader austerity measures aimed at conserving foreign exchange. The appeal comes amid a widening current account deficit (CAD) and a weakening rupee.But what does the conflict in West Asia, a key hub for crude oil and natural gas production, have to do with cooking oil? The answer lies in interconnected commodity markets and India’s heavy dependence on imported edible oils. Mint explains:PM Modi urged households to cut cooking oil consumption by about 10%, arguing it would benefit both public health and the national economy.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI: Bears in gold and silver are in for a rude shock after the government raised import duty on bullion to 15% from 6%, a move expected to send prices on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) soaring by more than 9% and potentially lock contracts at upper circuits.Gold and silver contracts on MCX have a maximum daily price limit of 9% in either direction. If international prices move beyond those levels, the exchange can relax the circuit limits in additional 3% bands.The government on Wednesday raised import duties on gold and silver as part of efforts to curb precious metals imports amid a swelling import bill triggered by the West Asia crisis.The duty hike comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to defer gold purchases for a year to help cushion the economic impact of the West Asia war.India imports about 700 tonnes of gold annually, putting pressure on the current account deficit (CAD) at a time when the conflict has driven crude oil prices up 45% to above $107 a barrel.CAD reflects the gap between the country’s foreign exchange earnings and spending.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India’s inflation in April climbed to a 13-month high of 3.5% from a year earlier, driven by food prices. Though this was only marginally higher than March’s 3.4% reading and undershot economists’ expectation of a 3.8% print, there isn’t much relief to draw, given the rising trajectory of price levels. Commodity and freight costs have risen in the wake of supply disruptions caused by the war in West Asia, making food costlier.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for Indians to help conserve foreign exchange in various ways, such as by holding off on foreign travel and using less fuel, made waves as news partly because it has been more than a decade since India’s external sector was last under pressure. With crude trading above $100 per barrel globally, our oil imports are soaking up dollars even as exports face protectionist headwinds. Ever since war erupted in West Asia, it has been clear that its adverse effect on our balance of payments (BoP) would need to be kept under watch.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Since the start of the West Asia war and the sharp 44% rise in crude oil prices, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have been steadily selling Indian shares, pushing total outflows in less than five months close to last year’s record level.FPIs have sold cash shares worth ₹2.28 trillion in calendar 2025 through 11 May — just ₹120 billion short of the record ₹2.4 trillion secondary market outflows seen in the whole of 2025, according to depository and exchange data.Of this, ₹1.85 trillion — over four-fifths of total outflows — came between March and 11 May alone, underscoring investor concerns about the impact of elevated crude on India’s macroeconomic fundamentals and corporate earnings if the war drags on.Recognizing the economic threat from sustained high oil prices, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated an appeal to citizens to conserve fuel and curb gold purchases on Monday.The West Asia war, which began on 28 February, has lifted crude 44% to $104 a barrel as of 11 May.With India importing around 90% of its daily crude requirement of 5.5 million barrels, the oil shock threatens to widen the current account deficit.The pressure is visible in the currency markets.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call urging people to reduce their use of transport fuels is indeed a need of the hour, given the turmoil in West Asia. Our heavy dependence on imports of crude oil, the raw material for what most motor engines burn, means that India’s policy cushions are wearing thin. The government has thus far used state-owned fuel retailers to absorb much of the oil shock since the end of February, when the Iran war began.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.New Delhi: The US-Iran war has crimped energy supplies, raised fuel prices, threatens to spike India’s import bill and thus strain its foreign exchange reserves. It was in this context that Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to citizens on Sunday to cut fuel use, avoid unnecessary overseas travel and explore domestic destinations instead.For some affluent Indian travellers, that shift is already underway—India's premium domestic destinations are seeing stronger demand, higher occupancies and rising room tariffs this summer.A Delhi-based family of nine abandoned their usual summer plan of a European holiday as business class tickets surged past ₹5 lakh a seat on some key routes, nearly double the typical fares.

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India's top business leaders, including billionaires Gautam Adani and Sunil Bharti Mittal, on Monday endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to reduce consumption of import-dependent commodities like fuel and gold to conserve precious foreign exchange as a protracted West Asia war fuels price rise.They also called for strengthening domestic investments, accelerating energy transition, and ensuring self-sufficiency in compute for artificial intelligence (AI) to help insulate the economy from future global shocks.The industry leaders were speaking at the Annual Business Summit 2026 of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).“We need to get away from this obsession of gold. We need to lower our energy cost.