On May 13, government sources in India revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has significantly streamlined the size of his official motorcade. This move aims to lead by example in response to his own recent public call for austerity, prompted by soaring global energy prices linked to conflicts in the Middle East.

This past Sunday, Modi publicly urged Indian citizens to adopt a series of austerity measures. These include reducing non-essential foreign travel, prioritizing the use of public transport, cutting back on gold purchases, and decreasing cooking oil consumption. The ongoing geopolitical conflicts have driven up global energy prices, posing significant pressure on India's foreign exchange reserves and overall macroeconomic stability.

Addressing recent social media scrutiny over the travel arrangements and use of official aircraft by senior officials, sources indicated that Modi has already reduced the number of accompanying vehicles during recent visits to Gujarat and Assam. This was done while maintaining the security protocols of the Special Protection Group (SPG). The motorcade's size was reportedly previously around 12 vehicles. Furthermore, Modi has explicitly directed that, without increasing procurement costs, efforts should be made to introduce electric vehicles into the existing fleet where possible.