Modi reduces convoy size as austerity step amid West Asia conflict

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Special Protection Group (SPG) to reduce his convoy size by at least 50 per cent as part of the government’s austerity measures aimed at cutting fuel consumption while addressing surging global energy prices caused by the continuing crisis in the Middle East, Hindustan Times reports.

Officials aware of the matter said that the country's premier has also instructed the PMO to push for electric vehicles in his fleet.

“The size of the convoy has already been reduced over the last two days. It has been done without compromising security,” an official aware of the matter confirmed.

Following PM’s call, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also reduced the size of his convoy, officials said. On Wednesday, Shah, while leaving his residence, was spotted with just 4-5 security vehicles in his convoy. The home minister’s convoy usually consists of around 10-30 vehicles, depending on the location. In Delhi, it usually hovers around ten.

Earlier on Sunday, Modi had advised citizens to adopt a clutch of austerity measures, including car pooling, using public transport, working from home, buying less gold and limiting foreign travel, among other measures. The SPG is the elite security unit that manages PM Modi’s security in India and abroad.

The PM’s convoy includes an ambulance, his security officers, and also teams from the PMO, who always set up a make-shift PMO, whenever the PM stays at any venue for more than an hour. The convoy usually has around two dozen vehicles, sometimes even more, depending on the location’s sensitivity.

Speaking at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in Hyderabad on May 10, PM Modi had asked citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, use metro services and carpool, shift to electric vehicles, work from home, postpone foreign travel, and avoid gold purchases for up to a year.

A shareable image titled “Modi 7 Appeals” with key points was quickly circulated by the government and aligned social media handles. Framing the austerity as a patriotic duty amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict in West Asia, he said rising crude oil prices and disruptions to global supply chains were placing severe pressure on India’s foreign exchange reserves.

“We have to save foreign exchange by any means,” he told the gathering, underlining that gold and petroleum products were paid for in dollars when imported.

Within hours of the speech, social media was flooding with videos of PM Modi leading a roadshow in Jamnagar, Gujarat, in an armoured SUV surrounded by a convoy of dozens of vehicles.

Many citizens on social media shared photos of the large number of vehicles in his convoy.

Many other senior leaders and ministers in the Centre and the states are likely to follow similar austerity measures following the PM’s bold direction to the SPG to reduce his fleet.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath too had issued a similar order to reduce the fleet of vehicles in his convoy, along with those of his ministers and top bureaucrats. The CM had also used his public representatives to use public transport at least once a week.