His tenure has reshaped India’s diplomacy, strategic autonomy and influence across major global forums.
When my book Revolutionary Raj — Narendra Modi Rule of 25 Years was published in February this year, I was asked at some of its programmes whether, during this revolutionary rule, there had been any major achievement in world politics under Modi’s tenure. Based on my journalism and facts since 1971, I answered those questions. The biggest argument is that from the era of Indira Gandhi to Manmohan Singh, India was presented at the United Nations and other international conferences with the label of “non-alignment”. However, while covering the Non-Aligned Movement summit held at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi in early 1983, I had already begun to feel that this label represented little more than a grouping of countries unhappy with America and China or supportive of the Soviet Union. In contrast, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, he adopted what can be called a genuine non-aligned policy, beginning to build direct diplomatic and, to some extent, personal relationships with top leaders from Russia, America, China, Britain, Africa, the Middle East, West and East Asia and the European countries. The latest evidence is the presence of 12 countries at the BRICS summit and the acceptance of India’s role in the five-member grouping, which can be described as an important pillar of Modi’s global strategy.
India hosted the BRICS summit in 2016 and assumed its chairmanship again in 2026. At the 2026 summit, India’s engagement with leaders such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian further underlines the importance of this strategy. Nearly half the world’s population and around 40 per cent of the global economy are connected to this grouping. America and countries aligned with it may be somewhat unsettled, but they too want economic relations with China, Russia and Iran with India’s support. US President Donald Trump, who has issued tariff threats, is waiting to visit India and, before that, meet the presidents of China and Russia in November. Therefore, while some disappointed Congress leaders such as P Chidambaram may lament that India gains nothing from BRICS or elsewhere, the United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund are themselves recognising India’s leadership and economic development at global forums. For Modi, the significance of BRICS lies in the concept of the Global South, reforming Western-dominated institutions, alternative financial mechanisms, trade, energy, technology, development financing and a multipolar world. It may be called a coincidence or the strategy of Modi’s advisers that praise for Modi at BRICS has begun three days before his birthday on September 17. At the same time, his Bharatiya Janata Party is preparing to celebrate Narendra Modi’s successful 25 years in power, from chief minister to prime minister. In my book and articles, I have highlighted the fact that no leader of any country in the world, including Putin, Xi Jinping or Trump, has the experience of remaining in power continuously for 25 years. It is important to note that Modi’s international understanding did not suddenly emerge after 2014. He was associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for a long period and later joined the BJP organisation. In 1978, he became an RSS regional-level pracharak and in 1979 became associated with the organisation’s work in Delhi.
His role in the BJP organisation grew in the late 1980s. He also played an important role in organising L K Advani’s Ram Rath Yatra in 1990 and Murli Manohar Joshi’s Ekta Yatra in 1991-92. This was the period when Modi came to understand different parts of the country from an organisational perspective and later gained experience of connecting with the Indian diaspora abroad. Very few people may know that Narendra Modi travelled to America in 1993. At that time, he was neither a chief minister nor a Member of Parliament, nor did he hold any position in the Central government. He was a leader associated with the BJP-RSS organisation. His first training visit took place at the invitation of the American Council of Young Political Leaders. This organisation, with the support of the US government, had been inviting selected young leaders from around the world, particularly developing countries, for one-month programmes. During these visits to America, participants were exposed to exchanges of ideas and programmes involving political leaders and senior administrators. This was also the period when India, under the Rao government, had begun opening its doors to a liberal economic system. Thus, Modi got an opportunity to observe the American political system, leadership, electoral politics and institutional functioning. Interestingly, this experience of that period can be seen in Modi’s later approach — when travelling abroad, he did not only speak to governments but also sought to understand political systems, business communities and the Indian diaspora. As Gujarat chief minister, he began his first experiments with foreign policy. Narendra Modi became chief minister of Gujarat in 2001. His biggest characteristic was that he did not regard the office of chief minister merely as an administrative position.
