When Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood before a massive gathering in Hyderabad after unveiling infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores, his appeal to citizens carried both urgency and sincerity. In the backdrop of tensions in West Asia, volatile crude oil prices, and growing economic uncertainty across the world, Modi urged Indians to reduce dependence on petrol and diesel and embrace energy conservation. It was a timely appeal. India imports nearly 85 per cent of its crude oil requirements. Every global conflict shakes the Indian economy, fuels inflation, widens the fiscal burden, and eventually pinches the common citizen.
But there is one question that naturally arises: should this appeal stop with the public alone, or should the political and administrative establishment first set the example?
If India truly wants to become energy secure and accelerate the transition towards alternative fuels, electric mobility, ethanol, hydrogen, and green energy, then the movement cannot remain confined to speeches and advertisements. It must begin at the very top. Leadership is not merely about issuing instructions. The finest form of leadership is leadership by example.
To his credit, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has consistently advocated alternative energy sources. More importantly, he has attempted to practice what he preaches. Gadkari has publicly used hydrogen-powered and ethanol-driven vehicles and repeatedly pushed for flex-fuel engines, EV adoption, biofuels, and green hydrogen. Whether one agrees with all his policies or not, there is no denying that he has at least attempted to create a model for others to follow.
That is precisely why many now expect Prime Minister Modi himself to take the next bold step.
Nobody disputes the enormous security challenges surrounding the Prime Minister. No sensible citizen would advocate compromising national security. But can the scale of official convoys, ceremonial vehicle movement, and fuel consumption across the political and bureaucratic ecosystem be rationalised? Certainly yes.
India today has thousands upon thousands of government vehicles operating daily. Rough estimates suggest that the Union and State governments together maintain well over 70,000 to 80,000 official vehicles across departments. Add to this the fleets used by ministers, MPs, MLAs, senior bureaucrats, district administrations, PSUs, and government agencies. The number rises exponentially.
The security establishment too operates massive vehicle networks. The Indian armed forces together possess several lakh vehicles, ranging from transport trucks to light utility fleets. Central Armed Police Forces such as the Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, and Central Industrial Security Force operate tens of thousands of vehicles nationwide. State police departments maintain gigantic fleets as well. Even the judiciary, from Supreme Court judges to district court administrations, uses extensive official transport systems funded by taxpayers.
Imagine the impact if even 25 to 30 per cent of these official vehicles were converted into electric, ethanol, or hydrogen-powered alternatives over the next five years. The savings on imported fuel alone would run into thousands of crores annually. More importantly, it would send a moral message to society that sacrifice and reform are not meant only for ordinary citizens.
India’s political culture unfortunately suffers from a visible contradiction. Leaders often preach austerity while moving in convoys of dozens of SUVs. Governments advise citizens to conserve fuel while thousands of official vehicles idle endlessly outside offices, meetings, and functions. Climate concerns are discussed in conferences even as state machinery continues to overwhelmingly depend on fossil fuels.
This is where Modi has a historic opportunity.
Unlike many leaders before him, Modi has cultivated the image of a decisive and transformational Prime Minister. Supporters admire him because he is seen as a leader who does not merely speak, but acts. Whether it was promoting cleanliness through the Swachh Bharat Mission, encouraging yoga globally through International Day of Yoga, or pushing digital transactions after demonetisation, Modi understood one principle well — symbolic leadership matters in India.
If the Prime Minister announces that all PMO vehicles, ministerial convoys, and central government fleets will gradually shift to EVs, ethanol, or hydrogen-based systems, it will create a nationwide behavioural shift. States will follow. Bureaucracies will fall in line. PSUs will adopt reforms. The private sector will accelerate investments. Citizens, too, will feel morally compelled to cooperate.
The message would become infinitely more powerful than a routine appeal from the stage.
India stands at an important crossroads. Energy security is no longer merely an economic issue; it is a strategic necessity. The country cannot forever remain vulnerable to every geopolitical tremor in West Asia or fluctuations in global crude prices. Reducing dependence on imported fuel requires not only policy reforms but also visible political commitment.
And that commitment must begin from the very top.
As the old saying goes, charity begins at home. In modern governance, reform too must begin at the top. Prime Minister Modi has asked the people to save fuel for the nation. Perhaps the time has now come for the nation’s most powerful offices to demonstrate how it should be done.
