Smooth Sailing

The leader of the world's most populous nation remains popular even after 10 years in power

- Sammya Mukhopadhyay

Narendra Modi this year became only the second person in India’s history to secure the office of prime minister three times in a row. The only other person to have achieved this feat was Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, who served the office for 16 years and 286 days. As of writing, Modi has served the office for 10 years and five months and over this period he has become the fulcrum on which the fractious Indian polity balances itself.

The Modi years in many ways have been the culmination of India’s 1991 liberalisation project. India has opened up its economy allowing greater free trade, pursued a foreign policy that keeps its interests first, made great strides in space technology and digital infrastructure, and brought a record number of people within the ambit of formalised banking.

His government has overhauled the tax system, made labour policy more industry-friendly, focussed on manufacturing in India, attempted to revitalise agriculture and made government functioning significantly more efficient. While critics and members of the opposition have found fault with Modi’s economic policies, the Indian economy has seen stable growth at a moment of global economic upheaval. Joblessness, critics say, has been persistent, yet 415mn people have come out of poverty in the last decade-and-a-half. While household savings have been at an all-time low, more Indians now are able to afford premium products, international vacations and company stocks.