New Delhi, May 11 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged Indians to adopt austerity measures ranging from cutting fuel consumption and postponing foreign travel to reducing edible oil use and chemical fertiliser dependence, as the government grapples with the economic fallout of the ongoing global energy crisis and surging crude prices. Speaking in Hyderabad, where he inaugurated multiple projects, Modi framed the appeal as a national duty at a time when India imports more than 88% of the crude oil it processes and supply chains remain under strain amid the conflict in West Asia. "In this time of global crisis, we have to make a resolution keeping duty paramount and fulfil it with complete dedication," Modi said. "A big resolution is to use petrol and diesel sparingly. We must curb our use of petrol and diesel. In cities with Metro lines, we should decide to travel by Metro only. If we must use a car, then we should try to carpool," he said. The prime minister also urged people to maximise the use of electric vehicles, shift freight movement towards railways and revive work-from-home arrangements that became common during the Covid-19 pandemic. "During the Corona period, we developed many systems of work from home, online meetings, and video conferences, and we even became accustomed to them. Today, the demands of the times are such that if we restart these systems, it will be in the national interest," he said. Modi repeatedly stressed the need to conserve foreign exchange as India faces mounting import costs. "We must also place a strong emphasis on saving foreign exchange, as petrol and diesel have become so expensive globally," he said. "It is our responsibility to save the foreign currency spent on purchasing petrol and diesel." Crude oil prices have surged sharply since the outbreak of the war in West Asia on February 28, with average import prices rising from around $70 a barrel to nearly $120. The pressure has also weighed on the rupee, which weakened from around Rs.91 against the dollar before the conflict to nearly Rs.95. To be sure, the rupee's depreciation has mirrored pressure on several major Asian currencies during the broader global crisis....