PM Modi: The outsider who changed a nation
PM Narendra Modi's leadership since 2014 has transformed governance, foreign policy, and welfare, emphasizing direct communication and social empowerment.
Dressed in a white kurta with a flaming orange and green Rajasthani Safa (turban), newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped up to the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day in 2014 and described himself as an “outsider to Delhi”.
He said he had no idea about the administration and working of the place, but was blessed with insight. “I have been quite isolated from the elite class of this place but during the last two months while being an outsider, I had an insider view and I was astonished...It seemed as if dozens of separate governments are running at the same time in one main government. It appears that everyone has their own fiefdom. I could observe disunity and conflict among them,” he said.
The speech set the tone for the transformation in governance and policy that has since become the hallmark of the Narendra Modi-led government — whether it be in ushering in new laws and decolonising British-era statutes, resetting foreign policy and the channels of communication, redrawing the strategy against both cross-border terrorism and Left Wing extremism, or creating a new paradigm on welfare and ease-of-living.
“After he became the PM, one big change was visible in political communication. He changed the way the PM communicated with the people from online to offline. And there was no need for intermediaries…he reached out directly to the masses and he spoke to all sections of society,” said a senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union minister, requesting anonymity.
Politics
Within the party itself, changes were implemented quickly after 2014, with key tasks identified for the cadre, from lending a hand to implement the government’s key campaigns such as the Swachh Bharat Mission to ensuring saturation coverage of welfare schemes that would become the hallmark of the NDA under Modi.
“There was a clear directive that party workers had to pull their weight. Even in states where the BJP was considered an outsider, the workers were asked to show up and work to expand the party’s base and that’s how the BJP had grown to be the world’s largest party…” said a second party functionary.
Party chief JP Nadda credited the PM for the BJP’s expansion. Speaking at a party function on Sunday in Andhra Pradesh he said, “The Modi-led NDA is responsible and responsive. We are the largest political party in the world with 14 crore (140 million) members… NDA governments in 20 states, BJP governments in 13 states…We have 240 MPs (Lok Sabha). We have around 1,500 MLAs. We have more than 170 MLCs.”
He said 11 years under Modi’s leadership have seen the politics of performance and accountability.
Party leaders say it was Modi’s personal capital that saw the National Democratic Alliance regroup after allies such as the Telugu Desam Party, the Janata Dal (United), the AIADMK, Shiromani Akali Dal, and the Shiv Sena exited the coalition. Only the SAD is not part of the NDA now. He also ensured that the party’s ideological issues from the construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya to the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and now a demographic mission to examine the changes in population were addressed.
Elections
The template set by the PM for the expansion of the party and ensuring the empowerment of the marginalised through government schemes have helped the BJP conquer new frontiers. He was instrumental in reviving the party’s social engineering formula of building a coalition of diverse castes — a consolidation of the Hindu vote — even as he said that for him the four biggest castes were the poor, the youth, women, and farmers (an emphasis on welfare).
For the first time, the party formed governments in states such as Assam and, thanks to smart alliances, in Jammu & Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh. “His focus on people-centric schemes and the stress on empowering these four castes saw the emergence of a new constituency for the BJP” said the second leader quoted above.
Party leaders also attribute this to the PM’s push for “decolonising the Indian state”.
Former Rajya Sabha MP and party ideologue Rakesh Sinha said that Modi “ unapologetically” freed India from colonial legacies and hangovers. “His leadership is a unique combination of ideas of developments and cultural unfoldment. We can confidently say that he redefined the idea of India,” Sinha said.
Since 2014, the BJP formed alliance governments in four states, apart from winning three consecutive Lok Sabha polls. During Modi’s tenure, the party has made an unprecedented push into the Northeast and won power in seven states for the first time. “He’s made multiple visits to the Northeast states, more than any PM. He has ensured funds for development are not just figures on paper but translate into infrastructure on the ground,” said the second functionary.
Economy
Modi’s stewardship saw India transition from being a part of the fragile five to the world’s fourth-largest economy (and soon to be the third). His focus on people-centric policies, introspection, and enhancing productivity, his colleagues said, were at the core of initiatives such as the expansion of the digital economy and financial inclusion, allowing small vendors financial empowerment through digital initiatives or collateral free loans for women and young entrepreneurs.
“The PM follows a different philosophy and work ethic. He says when you draft a policy, put yourself in the place of the poorest of the poor and then roll it out. He has always said there is a need to eliminate the layers, increase efficiency and connect with the people,” said Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The minister said the PM’s grasp over subjects coupled with his patient listening skills and ability to sift through make him a “chalti phirti pathshaala” (a school on wheels).
ALSO READ | Narendra Modi: A multi-faceted leader with a common touch
The ability to take tough decisions is another aspect that the PM is credited for. The first functionary quoted above said, with an ear to the ground, the PM pushed for reform to the tax regime (direct and indirect), merge the railways budget with the annual budget, create the Niti Aayog, push for Make in India, invest in infrastructure, especially roads, railways and airports, and ease the life of the middle class .
This is demonstrated in the implementation of the goods and services tax in 2017, the total volume of digital payments was 222 billion in 2024-25, the number of unicorns crossing 100, a significant dip in extreme poverty, and bringing inflation under control.
Foreign affairs
From inviting Saarc leaders for his first oath-taking ceremony to announcing that terror attacks on Indian soil would be considered an act of war, the PM’s foreign policy doctrine has an unmistakable ideological imprint. Tethered to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s tenet of “nation first”, the PM reset the terms of engagement. “There was a misconception that being non aligned means India should not speak out…the PM on the other hand has been firm that India’s interests are paramount and the government will do what it takes to secure our interests. Through vaccine maitri (sharing critical Covid vaccines with other countries) he showed India’s compassion and through Operation Sindoor, he sent out the message that there will be consequences for attacking our sovereign state,” said the third functionary quoted above.
From leveraging the country’s soft power through Yoga and cultural initiatives to offering aid during crises, the country’s foreign policy saw several shifts. More recently, India reset ties with China, and is driving a hard bargain on key trade agreements including one with the United States. “He asks questions, he offers suggestions and he monitors the situation…whether it was during evacuation from Yemen, Afghanistan or Ukraine, he was determined that no Indian should be left in harm’s way,” said the third functionary.
His engagement with the diaspora also stands out. Officials aware of the details said although PMs always met Indian expats during the visits abroad, this is the first time that grand receptions are held for the PM on his official visits.
“Modi is the first leader from the developing world who made his legitimate and decisive place in world politics,” Sinha said.
Welfare
Welfare and ease of living have always ranked high on the PM’s agenda. Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jairam Thakur said after becoming PM, Modi had an explicit instruction to expedite the construction of the Atal Tunnel.
“As the state in charge of HP he was aware of the difficulties that people in the region faced in the absence of a proper motorable road. He was instrumental in getting the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to announce the project, but after the UPA came to power, it was delayed. We had a series of meetings on how to fast track the construction that reduces the distance between Manali and Keylong by several hours,” said Thakur.
The tunnel’s completion was over when the global pandemic Covid wreaked havoc and government functionaries wanted the inauguration to be put off, which in turn would delay the opening of the tunnel and continue to hamper safe passage for people.
“I told him if the inauguration was not done by November 14 when the mountain pass is closed for the winter, it would be delayed for another five months. The PM understood the sensitivity of the situation and despite the restrictions imposed for Covid, agreed to inaugurate the tunnel (on October 3, 2020)...” Thakur said.
Party leaders point out that the time spent by Modi as an RSS pracharak, which took him across the country, has given him a ringside view of the problems faced by ordinary people. “When he spoke about the need for clean fuel, it was because he had seen his mother struggle in the kitchen. Similarly, having seen the poor struggle for health care, education, and earning opportunities fuelled his pro-people policies and welfare schemes,” said an RSS functionary.
In his tenure, the government distributed free gas cylinders under the Ujjwala Yojana, opened 550.2 million bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana, created over 36 crore beneficiaries under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, and built over 91.50 lakh houses under the PM Awas scheme.
His ministers have spoken of how Modi has created an entire class of labharathis (beneficiaries)
Defence
From increasing foreign direct investment from 26% to 49% in the defence sector to giving indigenous production a fillip, the PM’s tenure has seen the defence budget grow, the acquisition of state-of-the-art defence systems such as the Rafale fighter jets from France in addition to induction of the country’s first indigenously built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant.
“While he’s stressing on Atmanirbarta in all sectors including defence. He is a leader who has taken the initiative of addressing their demands from ensuring the roll out of One Rank, One Pension to spending time with the soldiers, a tradition he started in 2014, when he celebrated Diwali with soldiers in Siachen,” said the third leader.
At the Siachen Base Camp at a height of over 12,000 feet, the PM praised the valour and courage of the soldiers and said that all Indians could celebrate Diwali and go about their lives in comfort because of the jawans who stood guard at the borders, prepared to make every sacrifice for the nation.
He also steered the government’s rollout of the Agnipath scheme and led from the front the recent Operation Sindoor against terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
The PM often alludes to his non- dynastic political journey, his upbringing in a poor family and his drive to serve the nation.
In the wake of the US imposing high tariffs on India and the cloud over bilateral ties, the PM announced that the welfare of farmers, those who rear livestock and fisherfolk were the top priority of his government and he was prepared to bear any cost to protect their interests.
“I am aware that at a personal level I will have to pay a heavy price, but I am prepared for it. India is ready for its farmers, fishermen and cattle-rearers. We have been consistently working towards increasing the income of farmers, reducing the expenditure on farming and creating new sources of income,” Modi said in August while speaking at the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference.
