From US President Joe Biden asking for his autograph at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, to the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape breaking protocol by welcoming him post sunset and touching his feet in an extraordinary act of reverence, to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling him “The Boss”, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has established himself as the biggest leader of the democratic world and beyond.
No other world leader commands as much aura, awe and respect every single time he steps out to foreign shores as much as Prime Minister Modi. Mind you, he is at the fag end of his second term, i.e., at the ninth year of his being the prime minister of the largest democracy in the world. But somehow, his popularity seems to be soaring with each passing year. What must have now become a habit, PM Modi has consistently topped the popularity charts of the “most popular world leader” for many years now. This year, as per a survey released by a global decision intelligence firm called ‘Morning Consult’, PM Modi once again emerged as the most popular global leader with an approval rating of 78%, beating the likes of Joe Biden of the US, Rishi Sunak of the UK, Justin Trudeau of Canada, Fumio Kishida of Japan, Emmanuel Macron of France, Da Silva of Brazil, and many more.
What started from an enthralling speech at a packed Madison Square Garden in New York in September 2014, Prime Minister Modi re-established his rockstar credentials at the other end of the Pacific in a packed Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney a few days ago. No wonder he has garnered the envy of many, as prominent Australian politician and leader of the opposition Peter Dutton remarked that his country’s politicians are “jealous” of PM Modi, referring to the kind of reception the latter received in a foreign nation.
Perhaps what Mr Dutton wanted to say was that he had never seen or even imagined that a politician could be so revered and celebrated that even a rockstar like Bruce Springsteen would pale in comparison. Given the fact that we are in the twenty-first century and in the age of social media and deeply divided societies across the world in terms of partisan politics, PM Modi’s unwavering popularity has perplexed many. Even so much that it has become the subject of case studies across academic discourses.
So, what explains PM Modi’s sky-rocketing global popularity, even though he has been the Prime Minister of India for nine years and has spent an even bigger time period in public office as the former chief minister of the state of Gujarat?
Ever since he came to power, PM Modi has been the beacon of hope for a new class of aspiring Indians both in India and across the globe. He has single-handedly given rise to a new sense of national consciousness among the hard-working Indians who have already made a name for themselves in the countries they have been living in in the capacity of doctors, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, businessmen, etc.
PM Modi has instilled in them a sense of pride and belonging to their motherland which although not lost, was longing for purpose. Every time PM Modi has stepped out of the country and has spoken to the Indian diaspora be it in the US, Germany, UK, Hong Kong, Japan, and now Australia, he has sought to highlight the positives of India and showcase to the world how the country under his government is shining and marching ahead in various sectors. Be it Covid management, budding startup culture, strong diplomacy, heavy infra push, beneficiary schemes like building toilets and houses for the women, the poor and the marginalized, or even something elitist like the Padma Awards becoming the “People’s Awards”, PM Modi speaks about them all. No wonder Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) or even students listening to the Prime Minister of their motherland addressing them on foreign shores about the possibilities and opportunities that await them back home fills them with pride and excitement.
There will hardly be any Indian, either young or old, who would not want to contribute to the incredible growth story that India is witnessing today. For in front of their very own eyes, they have seen India climb the world GDP rankings from the 10th position in 2014 to the 5th place in 2023. India’s startup ecosystem has today become the third largest in the world. From barely a few hundred startups in 2014, India today boasts of 90000 startups with a total 107 of them valued as unicorns worth US $ 30 billion.
PM Modi’s vision of Digital India, often mocked and ridiculed by opposition parties, has become the largest digital transformation story in the world powering India towards the path of an “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. As per a report by Ernst and Young, the number of digital transactions in India increased from 300 crores in November 2019 to 1052 crores in January 2023. With every foreign visit done by PM Modi, he has showcased “Brand India’ with our unique culture and attracted huge foreign investments. His “Make in India” has attracted foreign investments to the tune of US $ 83.6 billion in 2021-22, recorded as the highest ever. As per reports, in a Modi vs Manmohan (Singh as PM) comparison, India has seen FDI inflows rise by 39.3% since Modi came to power. India has also been consistently improving its rankings each year in the “Ease of Doing Business” Index and has also entered the top ten in the “Business Environment Rankings” for the 2023-27 period.
Every Indian wants to connect and contribute to the India story and make India a Vishwaguru led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While on the one hand, there are political princelings who deride India at every chance they get on foreign shores, on the other hand, there is a leader who has risen from humble beginnings and who is leading India towards the path of a developed nation. No wonder the popularity charts continue to soar.
(Amlan Dutta is a Junior Fellow at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. Dharmendra Chhonkar is a Political Analyst.)
