During the Confederation of Indian Industry's (CII) annual business summit in New Delhi, industry leaders expressed a calm response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent austerity message, which encourages reducing expenditures on imports such as fuel, foreign travel, and gold. Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal highlighted the need for India to become more self-reliant, especially as global energy costs surge due to the ongoing crisis in West Asia. He urged industries to shift focus towards domestic spending and investments. Other leaders echoed this sentiment, with Naresh Trehan, chairman of Medanta, emphasizing the importance of rallying public support to mitigate rising costs. Rajiv Memani, CEO of EY India, described the PM's message as a pragmatic approach to current geopolitical challenges, advocating for moderation in consumption to ensure economic stability. Overall, industry leaders see this as an opportunity to strengthen India's economy and achieve GDP growth targets of 7-8% or more.