Narendra Modi on Friday overtook Indira Gandhi to become the second longest serving prime minister of India in consecutive terms.
Modi, officials noted, completed 4,078 days in office on Friday. Gandhi was in the office in an unbroken stint for 4,077 days, from January 24, 1966, to March 24, 1977.
The record for the unbroken stint is held by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister. Both Modi and Nehru led their respective parties to victory in three consecutive Lok Sabha elections. Nehru, who remained at the helm from August 15, 1947, till his death on May 27, 1964, had an uninterrupted tenure of 6,130 days.
As an elected head of a government, in state and at the Centre, Modi already enjoys the longest stint. He became Gujarat chief minister in 2001 and remained in office before taking over as prime minister in 2014.
Modi, the first PM born after Independence, is also the longest serving non-Congress PM. The officials noted that the Gujarat-born leader is the only non-Congress leader to complete two full terms as the head of the central government. “Modi is the only leader in India, among all PMs and CMs, to win six consecutive elections as the leader of a party — Gujarat assembly polls in 2002, 2007 and 2012, and the national elections in 2014, 2019, and 2024,” an official said.
Beginning with his dramatic electoral victory in 2014, PM Modi initiated sweeping changes with a mandate built on governance reform and economic development.
The rollout of the Goods and Services Tax in 2017 marked a historic restructuring of India’s tax architecture, replacing a fragmented system with a unified framework aimed at streamlining business across state lines.
In tandem with this reform came a strong emphasis on domestic production. Campaigns such as “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” aimed to bolster manufacturing, reduce dependence on imports, and create a self-reliant economic model.
One of PM Modi’s most consequential impacts has been in the realm of digital governance.
Under his leadership, Digital India reimagined the relationship between citizen and state, bringing services online and increasing transparency. Platforms like UPI revolutionised payment systems, enabling billions of transactions that placed India at the forefront of financial tech.
The “Jan Dhan Yojana” further expanded access to banking, drawing millions of previously unbanked individuals into the formal financial ecosystem. These measures brought fiscal empowerment to the grassroots and laid the groundwork for direct benefit transfers that minimised leakages in welfare schemes.
Infrastructure development under PM Modi has been another hallmark.
Road construction tripled in pace, and flagship initiatives like “Bharatmala” and “Sagarmala” pushed connectivity to the forefront of the development agenda.
Air travel was made more accessible through the UDAN scheme, and rail modernisation arrived in the form of Vande Bharat trains — symbolising speed, efficiency, and Indian innovation.
In defence and national security, PM Modi presided over a more assertive and globally visible India. Whether it was the retaliatory strikes in Uri and Balakot or the revamping of defence procurement and exports, his government shifted the narrative from strategic restraint to proactive engagement.
The “Agnipath” Scheme exemplifies this new posture — aimed at recalibrating military recruitment towards younger, agile cadres.
Social welfare saw significant expansion with Ayushman Bharat offering health coverage to over 55 crore people, and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana delivering millions of homes to rural and urban beneficiaries.
Ujjwala Yojana provided clean cooking fuel to households long dependent on polluting biomass, reducing health hazards and empowering women in domestic spaces.
On the global front, PM Modi’s foreign policy emphasised strategic autonomy, regional leadership, and global stature.
India hosted the G20 summit in 2023, enhancing its profile as a key player in global governance.
His current diplomatic engagements in the UK and Maldives illustrate continued outreach and negotiation, reinforcing India’s evolving role in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
PM Narendra Modi’s tenure reflects an ambitious re-engineering of governance and national priorities, framed by centralisation of power and charismatic leadership.