Life can be a whirl of success and happiness. It is also a whirlpool of challenges. These hurdles bring in changes. And then the transitions would redefine a man's roadmap and fate.
Narendra Modi's story is a complicated one.
Born - Sept 17, 1950; Modi first became chief minister of Gujarat on Oct 7, 2021.
At the time of his swearing-in, he was not yet a member of the state assembly; he later contested and won his first-ever election from the Rajkot-II constituency in February 2002.
In a Big Picture scenario - Development and Democracy have rarely been good associates. If one has to make a detached and objective analysis of 25 years of Modi's rule, the politics of Moditva and his share of credits and brickbats -- we may talk about three broad features. -
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* One, The 'Modi Model' has shown that a determined assault on obstacles to economic growth through investment, infrastructure building and leadership can ensure a sustained growth rate. Secondly. India may have to make a closer study (or a larger debate) on the nature of modernity and national identity.
And thirdly, the combination of popular elections, firm leadership -- free of cronyism and corruption can bring in unexpected results.
We may also say that in other words; Narendra Modi's life and works deserve a serious scrutiny by those - especially who disagree with him.
On a different plane; by 2012 in a decades time - since coming to power first on Oct 7th, 2001; Namo brought about a visible transformation of Gujarat. The 'Gujarat Model' is a phrase - perhaps used by others. He turned himself into a catalyst of development and change.
We may at this juncture easily attribute this to a lethal combination of Hindutva politics, the development image of Gujarat and not ignoring Modi's sheer pragmatism.
Kingmakers :
After many years, apparently, L K Advani had to lament about his primary decision to nominate Narendra Modi as the state chief minister in October 2001 and later to defend him despite the post-Godhra mayhem. It is said he told a group of BJP leaders after September 2013 - when Modi was already selected as PM-face of the party and the NDA -- that -- "we thought Modi had no mass base unlike Keshubhai Patel, and he could not harm anybody.
The truth maybe was 'different' -- at least for Advani himself.
Modi had replaced his 'former guru' as the face and the strongman of the BJP in 2013 and in 2019 - the Gandhinagar parliamentary seat was given to Amit Shah.
The Magic Mandate:
In 2014, the BJP's electoral success exceeded all predictions. It actually shattered Congress grip on Indian polity.
As many as 550 million votes were counted.
Modi then 64 - said : "Brothers, sisters, you have faith in me and I have faith in you ... The people of this country have given their verdict. This verdict says we have to make the dreams of 1.25 bn (125 crore) people come true. I must work hard."
World leaders rushed to telephone the new victor. Nawaz Sharif, the PM of neighbouring Pakistan, with which India fought four wars, arrived Delhi for Modi's grand swearing in ceremony. US President Barack Obama also made right noises and later that year in September received Namo with the salutation 'Kem chho'.
In 2007; Washington had declined him US visa. Indian students would have read somewhere ... that Bharat had a rich legacy of dealing with foreign powers. Modi has proved that he actually can. Since 2014 - there have been multiple occasions, Modi has upset international calculation. It reached its own climax in 2025 when New Delhi repeatedly defied US President Donald Trump's claim that the latter had intervened to bring in the ceasefire with Pakistan. Modi's handpicked foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar even said - when the ceasefire was announced between New Delhi and Islamabad; "the US was in the US".
It did not stop at that. In October 2026 - Jaishankar told an international function in Delhi that lately the US in effect stands a "lonelier power".
"No one in the room would disagree with the fact that the landscape today is primarily marked by a radical repositioning of the United States. A repositioning which is a posture of choice," he said, suggesting that, in a way, the US has "deliberately" become a "lonelier power".
This is New India.
The Indian economy grew at nearly 8 per cent in the April-June 2026 quarter. Yet equities have struggled to deliver the kind of returns.
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