UPDATE 1-Modi urges limits on fuel use, travel and imports to save forex

* "In the current situation, we must place great emphasis on saving foreign exchange," he said. * Modi also asked people ⁠to ​use public transport ⁠such as the metro and to carpool where possible to conserve fuel.

Indian ​Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged a spate of measures including fuel conservation, work-from-home practices ‌and limits on travel and imports, as a surge in global energy prices puts pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves.

* People should prioritise a ‌return to work-from-home and online meetings, widely adopted during the COVID-19 ‌pandemic, saying it would help India use less fuel, Modi said. * "In the current situation, we must place great emphasis on saving foreign exchange," he said.

* Modi also asked people ⁠to ​use public transport ⁠such as the metro and to carpool where possible to conserve fuel. * India, the world's ⁠third-biggest oil importer and consumer, late last month said there was no proposal ​to raise pump prices for diesel and gasoline, leaving it among ⁠the countries yet to raise prices despite the global surge.

* Modi urged people to avoid ⁠buying ​gold — which India spends on heavily during weddings — and to cut non-essential overseas travel for at least a year to save foreign ⁠exchange. * He called on families to reduce cooking oil consumption, describing that move as ⁠both healthy ⁠and patriotic.

* Modi also asked farmers to cut fertilizer use by as much as half.