NEW DELHI, May 13 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has "substantially" reduced the size of his motorcade to conserve fuel, a government source said on Wednesday, days after he urged citizens to exercise restraint amid a spike in energy prices triggered by the Iran conflict.
Modi appealed to the public on Sunday to embrace austerity measures, including avoiding non-essential foreign travel, using mass transport, limiting gold purchases and cutting down on cooking oil consumption, as rising global energy prices increased pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves.
Following the appeal, some critics on social media questioned the large motorcades of senior Indian politicians, Modi's domestic air travel and his forthcoming Europe visit on his official aircraft.
The number of vehicles in Modi's motorcade was reduced while maintaining essential security arrangements, in accordance with the protocol of the Special Protection Group that protects the prime minister, the source said, without revealing the motorcade's exact size.
Modi receives the highest category of personal security in the country and his motorcade was believed to include about a dozen vehicles before the reduction.
Modi downsized motorcades for visits this week to his home state of Gujarat and the northeastern state of Assam, the source said, adding that the prime minister had also requested electric vehicles to be incorporated into his motorcade wherever practical but without making any new purchases.
The source declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
The Prime Minister's Office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, depends heavily on the Strait of Hormuz, closed by the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, for supplies of crude oil, liquefied natural gas and cooking gas.
Higher oil prices threaten to expand the country's current account deficit, weaken growth, and fuel inflation while Washington and Tehran struggle to reach an agreement to end hostilities, more than a month after a fragile ceasefire paused fighting.
India has so far avoided raising petrol and diesel prices but an increase is considered likely due to the situation in the Middle East.