11 May , 2026 By : Debdeep Gupta
Addressing a public meeting in Hyderabad on Sunday, Modi stressed the need to reduce dependence on imported commodities and said cutting edible oil consumption could support both household health and the national economy
Shares of edible oil and agri-processing companies traded in the red on Monday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on households to reduce edible oil consumption, lower dependence on imports and adopt more sustainable consumption habits as part of a broader push to protect India's foreign exchange reserves.
Shares of Patanjali Foods were trading at Rs 455.30, down Rs 6.30 or 1.36%, while AWL Agri Business fell 1.86% to Rs 202.93 in Monday's trade.
Addressing a public meeting in Hyderabad on Sunday, Modi stressed the need to reduce dependence on imported commodities and said cutting edible oil consumption could support both household health and the national economy.
"The same is true for edible oil. We have to spend foreign currency on its import. If every household reduces the use of edible oil, it is a huge contribution to patriotism. This will improve the health of the national treasury and the health of every family member," PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the burden of fertiliser imports and urged farmers to reduce dependence on chemical inputs.
"Another sector that consumes foreign currency is our agriculture. We import chemical fertilisers in large quantities from abroad. We should reduce our consumption of chemical fertilisers by half and move towards natural farming. This way, we can save foreign currency and our farms and Mother Earth," he added.
Framing the current global economic uncertainty as a test of national responsibility, Modi called on citizens to rethink everyday consumption choices.
"Patriotism is not only about the willingness to sacrifice one's life on the border. In these times, it is about living responsibly and fulfilling our duties to the nation in our daily lives."
As part of what he described as an economic self-defence strategy, Modi also urged citizens to cut petrol and diesel usage by using metros, public transport, car-pooling, rail freight and electric vehicles wherever possible.
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