Sometimes, a nation does not just change government. It changes how it sees itself. It rewrites its destiny. May 2014 represented that moment for India.
The past eleven years have shifted how citizens relate to the state, made governance and development politically marketable, and reestablished civilisational connection.
Narendra Modi’s tenure as Prime Minister of India is not merely an electoral or economic success; it has rewritten the grammar of political legitimacy. He inherited a nation plagued by corruption scandals, branded among the “Fragile Five,” its majority population dehumanised by the “saffron terror” narrative, and public trust in the state deeply fractured. A decade later, India is the world’s fifth-largest economy, its welfare delivery mechanisms are globally cited, and civilisational identity is expressed with renewed confidence.
GOVERNANCE TRANSFORMATION
The most visible and impactful transformation has been in governance. Since Independence, the poor have accessed the state through power brokers, electoral favours, or political patronage. NaMo disrupted this system by moving from incrementalism to speed, scale, and comprehensive improvement.
Over 55 crore Jan Dhan accounts opened; nearly every village electrified; 12 crore toilets constructed under Swachh Bharat; 41 crore Ayushman Bharat cards issued; universal health coverage extended to citizens aged 70 and above; and rural household tap water connections rose from 18% to 80%. These and other effective interventions recalibrated how citizens experienced the state.
This was not legacy welfarism. It was a governance model prioritising social development and leveraging technology to minimise leakage. Access to a gas cylinder, working tap, toilet, house, hospital card, near-universal electrification, along with lifting 25 crore people out of multidimensional poverty, erased longstanding developmental deficits. For the poor, the state shifted from being distant to dignifying. Interestingly, official data shows that religious minorities, particularly Muslims, have among the highest participation rates in several of the Modi government’s flagship welfare schemes.
The Modi government invested heavily in physical and digital infrastructure—from highways and railways to UPI and DigiLocker. It took politically tough decisions, like Article 370, CAA, and cross-border surgical strikes, spending political capital where most would hesitate. That this happened alongside strong economic growth despite a pandemic and global churn speaks for itself. More remarkable, though, is the scale of inclusive development: geographic (the Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir), financial (Jan Dhan, Mudra), and digital (India Stack, broadband connectivity).
Good governance and development became a norm and emerged as central political tenets. It presented a governance model and vision, both for future Indian governments and for emerging economies. Voter alignment began to shift, slowly but surely, towards performance-based credibility.
CIVILISATIONAL RECONNECT
Post-Independence India defined itself through postcolonial anxiety: the majority identity was muted, external approval sought, and civilisational assertion sidelined as a footnote, if not an embarrassment. It viewed itself through Western standards.
This period reframed that narrative, by reasserting the civilisational identity. The inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, following a judicial verdict, is immensely significant in this context. It was an implicit acknowledgment that the nation cannot grow without addressing longstanding historical grievances lingering among its majority community. It also signalled globally that India no longer sees itself through externally imposed lenses.
India’s diplomatic positioning shifted to a civilisation-state with distinct values and an independent outlook. It was evident in initiatives like Vaccine Maitri as well as emphasis on strategic autonomy and multi-alignment despite pressure.
The civilisation itself is inherently plural, predating any constitution or ideological framework by thousands of years. India’s growing impatience with such misinterpretations reflects a confidence anchored in its own legitimacy.
MINDSET SHIFT
The deepest change happened in collective psychology. Citizens began to see themselves differently, and with that, redefined their expectations of government.
First, the power dynamic between the governed and the governing shifted. The citizenry has been freed from the “mai-baap” mentality, where those distributing state largesse were superior to the masses. That neocolonial equation of ruler and ruled changed, and the right to dignity has been taking root instead.
Second, Indians are becoming aspirational. The tether to poverty romanticism has snapped. There is a broader departure from a third-world mindset towards world-class development. Improved infrastructure gives hope to the people that a better quality of life is within reach. Schemes like MUDRA, Skill India, and Startup India help turn dreams into reality.
Third, the era of “pseudo-secularism,” which imposed asymmetric neutrality and burden on the majority community, is gone. Tolerance and harmonious coexistence are now framed as mutual, reciprocal respect and not one-sided majority restraint.
Fourth, Indians increasingly see themselves as stakeholders in the nation. From inferiority and marginality to aspiration and centrality, this shift is crucial for harnessing the demographic dividend.
In effect, older ways have lost traction. Politics can no longer survive on symbolism or identity arithmetic alone.
INDIA’S NEW OPERATING SYSTEM
The Modi era’s true legacy lies not just in policy or infrastructure, but in shattering long-standing psychological and governance ceilings.
This was the Modi government’s decade-long conversation with a billion and a half citizens—conducted through delivery, development, and dignity. A conversation that benefitted even those who vehemently oppose NaMo. That the change brought by this reset has broad public acceptance is reflected in the fact that Narendra Modi remains highly popular and undefeated, in an era where most global leaders struggle to retain trust and position.
Is this to suggest that the Ram Rajya that India yearns for has arrived? No. Are there gaps still to be addressed? Yes. Has the Modi government made mistakes? Of course it has. However, unless new political and psychological defaults are acknowledged, even valid criticism risks failing to resonate with the people.
The Modi era has moved the baseline. India’s next chapter—whether continuity or contrast—will operate within this new reality, framed over a transformative span of eleven years. That is one shift Narendra Modi can proudly look back on as he embarks on his Amrit Kaal journey; a powerful motivation to strive even harder towards Mission 2047.
Semu Bhatt is a strategic adviser, author, and founder of FuturisIndia.
