He is charismatic, he is decisive, he means business — he is Modi. Rising from humble beginnings to becoming the longest-serving non-Congress Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi’s political journey is one of the most significant and controversial in contemporary Indian history. Mr Modi’s ascent has been shaped by a blend of grassroots political work, unmatched oratory skills, unapologetic Hindu nationalism, and a polarising legacy that continues to evoke both admiration and strong criticism. Mr Modi’s story has two defining phases —  his tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, marred by the 2002 riots, and his transformation into a national leader who redefined the Indian political landscape. The man who was once denied a US visa is today celebrated on the global stage as a  “Vishwaguru.” Not only did Mr Modi propel India to the forefront of all-round development, but he also reaffirmed his image as a strong, bold and decisive leader through “Operation Sindoor”  — India’s swift military response to the Pakistan sponsored

Pahalgam terror attack. Mr Modi again sent a clear message that under his leadership, India does not hesitate to act. Born on September 17, 1950, in Gujarat’s Vadnagar, Mr Modi came from a modest background.

An article in Commonwealth and Contemporary Politics states: “Mr Modi has turned his humble beginning into a great asset in his performance of ordinariness since 2014. Mr Modi often refers to his youth spent selling tea with his father at a small train station and has amplified this aspect of his life...” In a powerful symbol of his journey, Mr Modi filed his 2014 nomination papers alongside a local tea vendor. That vendor was later among the 4,000 guests invited to his swearing-in ceremony — a reminder of his rise from a tea seller to the Prime Minister of India. Mr Modi’s association with the RSS from an early age deeply influenced his ideological and political outlook. As an RSS “pracharak”, Mr Modi honed his oratory and organisational skills. And these skills marked his rise within the BJP and in 2001, he was appointed the chief minister of Gujarat following internal reshuffling in the party. His early tenure as CM, however, was overshadowed by the 2002 communal carnage in Gujarat.  The state Government’s response drew sharp criticism not only from national and international observers but also from the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who asked Mr Modi to uphold his “raj dharma.” However, subsequent investigations and even the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team  found no prosecutable evidence against him. Economically, Mr Modi’s tenure has been a blend of bold strokes and mixed outcomes.

The twin shocks of demonetisation and GST shook the country’s economy. The Covid-19 pandemic tested his governance acumen — marked by stringent lockdowns, a massive vaccination drive, and significant welfare outreach.

Even as Mr Modi pushes India to the broader growth narrative, issues of unemployment, agrarian distress and inflation continue to persist.However, on the international stage, Mr Modi has transformed India’s diplomatic posture. India is no longer the quiet participant but the confident interlocutor. His personal diplomacy, extensive travel and strategic balancing --  from Washington to Riyadh to Moscow — have positioned India as a pivotal voice in a multipolar world.But Mr Modi’s legacy is also deeply polarising. Admirers hail him as a modern-day architect of national resurgence, while his detractors talk of democratic regression, authoritarian drift, subversion of institutional frameworks and marginalisation of minority voices. In 11 years, Mr Modi has repeatedly demonstrated that he is not just a master strategist but the BJP’s singular vote magnet. The slogan “Modi hai toh mumkin hai” has, for many, moved from political rhetoric to perceived reality. Towering above every political rival within India, Mr Modi has also emerged as one of the most recognisable and popular leaders on the global stage.Mr Modi’s  journey has been one of audacity, ambition, and relentless momentum. He arrived in Delhi as an outsider — unpolished by the protocols of Lutyens’ elite, untouched by the networks of privilege. A man from a backward caste, with no pedigree from the corridors of elite universities, he was dismissed in 2014 by the likes of Mani Shankar Aiyar with sneers that only fuelled his rise. But the slights, the barbs and the sustained opposition could not slow him down. As his critics fumed, Mr Modi quipped, “I have become gaali-proof.” He bared his political armour, impervious to contempt and showed he is driven by conviction.The Congress has termed the last 11 years of the Modi government as an example of failures and anti-people policies, as the BJP’s politics focused on creating divisions in society. Congress general secretary and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Bhagel argues that Mr Modi’s entire political journey has been one of disintegration and division.Under his leadership — if a section of economists are to be believed — India has surged to a $4.2 trillion economy, poised to overtake Japan and soon Germany to become the world’s third-largest. His emphasis on “Nari Shakti” has reframed the national conversation on women’s empowerment.For Mr Modi, governance is spectacle, politics is narrative, and the nation is both stage and subject. Whether history casts his era as a renaissance or a reckoning remains to be seen --  but few would dispute that he has irreversibly redrawn the contours of India’s polity, its public life, and its place in the world.