 "PM Modi@11: A decade of change and challenge")
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes 11 years in office (2014–2025), his governance has been characterised by bold initiatives, significant structural reforms, assertive foreign policy, electoral dominance, and a new national narrative. Sworn in on May 26, 2014, and now in his third term since June 9, 2024, PM Modi’s governance has touched nearly every sphere— economic, military, diplomatic, legal, and social.
We take a look at some defining milestones that chart the journey of the leader who changed the course of Indian politics and and governance.
BJP’s electoral dominance
When Narendra Modi became the BJP’s prime ministerial face in 2013, the party had seen success but was still viewed as dependent on alliances.
Under PM Modi and then party president Amit Shah, BJP underwent a massive organisational overhaul. The party focused on grassroots cadre-building, aggressive digital campaigning, and the deployment of data analytics.
PM Modi led the party to a full majority in 2014, the first for any single party in 30 years, securing 282 seats out of 543 — 166 seats more than in the previous 15th Lok Sabha. In 2019, the BJP further improved its numbers, winning 303 seats.
In 2024, While BJP didn’t get the desired results it had hoped for, PM Modi, who spearheaded the BJP campaign, still formed the government for a third consecutive term on June 8.
Despite losses in three Hindi heartland states, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured a majority in elections seen as a referendum on PM Modi’s popularity.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe PM Modi-led NDA, which had set a target of winning 400 seats in the Lok Sabha, bagged only 286 seats. The BJP won in 240 seats, falling 32 short of the halfway mark of 272 seats in the Lok Sabha in the House of 543, a far cry from the 303 and 282 seats it had won in 2019 and 2014.
As per 2019 data, the BJP became the world’s largest political party with over 180 million members.
Between 2014–2023, BJP either directly ruled or was part of the ruling coalition in more than 20 Indian states, making it an electoral juggernaut.
Make in India
In September 2014, the Modi government launched the Make in India initiative, a flagship programme aimed at transforming India into a global manufacturing hub.
The initiative aimed to increase manufacturing’s share in GDP to 25% and create 100 million new jobs by 2022.
By streamlining regulations and promoting ease of doing business, it sought to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and foster innovation.
India saw a record inflow of foreign direct investment — $84.8 billion in FY22 — making it one of the top global investment destinations.
Over the years, the initiative has elevated India to the world’s second-most attractive manufacturing destination, boosting sectors like electronics, defence manufacturing, automobiles, textiles, and chemicals.
This is the reason India has become a global player in manufacturing of defence equipment and done away with middlemen who used to rob India of its money by striking arms deals.
JAM Trinity- (Jan Dhan, Aadhar, and Mobile)
The JAM trinity — Jan Dhan Yojana, Aadhaar, and Mobile connectivity — is a government initiative which aims to deal with the leakage of government subsidies by linking the Jan Dhan Accounts, Aadhar Cards, and Mobile numbers of Indian citizens.
According to government data, as of December 2024, over 54 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened, holding deposits worth approximately Rs 2.39 lakh crore — a 15-fold increase since the scheme’s launch in 2014.
The scheme has been particularly successful in rural and semi-urban areas, with 66% of accounts opened in these regions. Women have also been major beneficiaries. Around 37.02 crore RuPay debit cards have been issued to account holders, reflecting increased financial access and usage. The average deposit per account, as of August 14, 2024, stands at Rs 4,352, indicating growing trust and savings behaviour among users.
Backed by the JAM Trinity — Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile — the scheme has become the world’s largest financial inclusion programme. JAM has revolutionised welfare delivery through Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT), ensuring subsidies reach intended beneficiaries directly while cutting out middlemen, eliminating nearly 10 crore fake accounts, and saving the exchequer Rs 2.75 lakh crore.
The World Bank has credited India with achieving its financial inclusion goals in just six years, a task it estimates would have taken 47 years without the country’s robust Digital Public Infrastructure.
The impact is tangible: 25 crore people have reportedly risen out of poverty in the past decade. In Delhi alone, 65 lakh Jan Dhan accounts hold deposits totaling Rs 3,114 crore, with 50 lakh RuPay card holders.
Meanwhile, more than 1.3 billion Aadhaar cards have been issued, enabling biometric identity verification across the country, while India’s mobile internet user base has surpassed 800 million, driving the growth of digital services such as the UPI-based payment ecosystem.
Swachh Bharat
Launched on October 2, 2014, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has emerged as one of India’s largest public health and sanitation campaigns, aimed at eliminating open defecation and improving waste management across the country.
According to government data, the campaign led to the construction of over 110 million toilets, boosting rural sanitation coverage from 39% in 2014 to 100% by 2019. Massive awareness drives, featuring celebrities, influencers, and community leaders, played a crucial role in changing public attitudes toward cleanliness and toilet usage.
Independent impact assessments have credited the campaign with improved health outcomes, including a notable decline in diarrhea cases among children. However, some studies have raised concerns about the sustainability of Open Defecation-Free (ODF) claims in certain regions, citing maintenance and long-term behavioral adherence as ongoing challenges.
As the mission completes over a decade, it remains a pivotal example of how infrastructure, policy, and mass mobilization can converge to address deeply rooted social issues.
From look East to Act East policy
PM Modi transformed India’s passive Look East Policy into an assertive Act East Policy, deepening strategic, cultural, and trade engagement with East and Southeast Asia.
India’s engagement with Southeast and East Asia has undergone a significant transformation over the past three decades, evolving from the Look East Policy of the 1990s to the more action-oriented Act East Policy launched under PM Modi.
The Look East Policy, introduced in 1992 by then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, marked India’s first major attempt to reconnect with the economically dynamic nations of Southeast Asia, following the Cold War. Aimed at enhancing trade and cultural ties, the policy facilitated the reduction of trade barriers, boosted tourism from the region, and opened doors to partnerships with ASEAN countries.
However, with growing geopolitical shifts and rising Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific, a more assertive approach was needed.
In 2014, Modi government formally announced a strategic upgrade: India would now “Act East”, signalling a move from intention to implementation. The shift was inspired, in part, by a 2011 call from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who urged India to take a more proactive role in the Asia-Pacific.
Under the Act East Policy, the Modi government broadened India’s focus to include East Asia and Oceania, while placing Northeast India at the heart of regional connectivity efforts. The Indo-Pacific region was recognised as a key strategic and economic priority.
At the 2014 East Asia Summit, PM Modi outlined a three-pronged approach based on the “3Cs”:
Commerce – Deepening trade and investment links
Culture – Reviving historical and civilizational bonds
Connectivity – Enhancing infrastructure, digital, and people-to-people ties
Since then, India has intensified economic cooperation with Japan, Vietnam, and Australia; participated more actively in forums like the ASEAN Regional Forum and Quad; and invested in regional infrastructure projects such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.
From a symbolic outreach to a cornerstone of foreign policy, the transition from Look East to Act East underscores India’s ambition to be a decisive player in the Indo-Pacific.
Neighbourhood first
India’s foreign policy has seen a steady shift toward greater regional engagement under the umbrella of its Neighbourhood First Policy, which guides diplomatic, economic, and strategic outreach to countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The policy focuses on enhancing connectivity, trade, and people-to-people ties while ensuring security cooperation and mutual development. It has become a key institutional focus across ministries, aiming to integrate India more closely with its immediate neighbourhood and to position itself as the principal anchor of stability in South Asia.
One of the central aims of the policy is to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region through deeper engagement with neighbours and regional infrastructure investments. India’s involvement in multilateral forums like SAARC and BIMSTEC, and support for initiatives such as the BBIN transport corridor and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project, reflects its effort to promote integration and collective progress in the region.
In recent years, New Delhi has also prioritized maritime security, energy cooperation, and development partnerships, especially in the northeastern states, which are strategically and geographically linked to its neighbourhood diplomacy.
On the diplomatic front, India’s ties with Bangladesh had significantly strengthened over the past decade, driven by trade and water-sharing cooperation. However, relations took a downturn following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina last year and the rise of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus to power.
Relations with Nepal and Sri Lanka have seen fluctuations due to political tensions and border issues. Engagement with Myanmar remains focused on connectivity and counter-insurgency cooperation, while ties with Pakistan continue to be strained over terrorism and territorial disputes.
Despite the progress, the policy faces challenges, including geopolitical tensions, project implementation hurdles, and economic disparities among neighbouring countries. Political instability in some capitals and lingering bilateral disputes have occasionally stalled progress on key initiatives.
India’s pivot to BIMSTEC over SAARC in recent years underscores a strategic shift in regional diplomacy, especially as SAARC’s effectiveness remains limited due to the India-Pakistan impasse.
Through a mix of strategic infrastructure investments, security cooperation, and cultural diplomacy, Neighbourhood First continues to shape India’s regional role, positioning it as a key player not just in South Asia, but across the wider Indo-Pacific region.
Muscular policy at borders
Over the past decade, Modi government has taken a firmer stance on national security and border issues, responding swiftly and decisively to threats and territorial disputes along India’s borders.
In 2016, following the deadly Uri terror attack, Indian special forces conducted surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC) targeting terror launchpads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This marked a significant tactical and psychological shift, signaling India’s readiness to take proactive military action against cross-border terrorism.
Three years later, in 2019, the Indian Air Force carried out airstrikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed training camps in Pakistan’s Balakot in retaliation for the Pulwama suicide bombing that killed over 40 Indian paramilitary personnel. This was the first airstrike of its kind since the 1971 Indo-Pak war, showcasing India’s willingness to escalate beyond traditional defensive postures.
The government also faced a prolonged standoff with China in 2017 at Doklam, a strategic plateau near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction. Indian troops successfully halted China’s road construction in the area, leading to a tense 73-day military standoff that underscored India’s resolve to protect its territorial interests and support its Bhutanese ally.
In 2020, the border tensions escalated dramatically with the Galwan Valley clash, where 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in brutal hand-to-hand combat with Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. The deadly encounter triggered a series of military and diplomatic disengagement talks, alongside a significant build-up of infrastructure and troop deployments along the border.
More recently, on May 7, 2025, India conducted Operation Sindoor, a retaliatory strike targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives on April 22. Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian forces launched a fierce counter-attack on several Pakistani military installations. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
This operation, alongside earlier strikes like the 2016 Uri surgical strikes and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, underscored India’s zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism. Additionally, Operation Black Forest in April 2025 targeted Maoist insurgents, reflecting a robust internal security strategy.
Together, these actions illustrate the Modi government’s shift toward a more assertive, proactive security doctrine — prioritising India’s territorial integrity, regional stability, and deterrence in a complex geopolitical environment.
Fighting Covid-19 pandemic with indigenous vaccine
India was among the first countries to develop and deploy indigenous COVID-19 vaccines, playing a crucial role in the global fight against the pandemic. Two major vaccines — Covaxin, developed by Bharat Biotech, and Covishield, produced by the Serum Institute of India in partnership with Oxford-AstraZeneca — formed the backbone of the world’s largest vaccination drive.
By early 2023, India had administered over 2.2 billion vaccine doses, overcoming initial supply challenges and the devastating impact of the second wave in 2021. This massive immunization campaign helped stabilise the country’s pandemic response and saved millions of lives.
Beyond its domestic efforts, India launched the Vaccine Maitri programme, supplying vaccines to more than 100 countries across Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. This initiative bolstered India’s diplomatic ties and showcased its commitment to global health solidarity during a time of unprecedented crisis.
Farmers’ protest to CAA: Challenges faced by Modi govt
While PM Modi’s decade in power has been marked by significant policy successes, it has also witnessed a series of complex and often polarising societal and geopolitical challenges that tested the government’s resolve and adaptability.
The farmers’ protest of 2020-2021 was triggered by the passage of three farm laws aimed at deregulating agricultural markets. The protests — led predominantly by farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh — lasted over a year. The government’s initial refusal to engage deeply with the protesters led to nationwide agitation, culminating in the repeal of the laws in late 2021, marking a rare political retreat.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) sparked widespread unrest between 2019 and 2020. Intended to offer citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from neighboring countries, the act was criticised for excluding Muslim refugees and was perceived by many as undermining India’s secular ethos. Protests erupted across universities and cities nationwide, raising concerns about religious discrimination and fueling communal tensions.
In the northeast, the Manipur ethnic conflict from 2023 to 2025 exposed deep-seated governance and social fissures. Clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities resulted in hundreds of deaths and mass displacement, revealing the fragile nature of peace and development in the region. The prolonged unrest highlighted challenges in coordination between state and central authorities in managing ethnic disputes.
Diplomatic relations with Canada deteriorated sharply amid allegations that sections of the Canadian Sikh diaspora supported Khalistani separatists. Tensions peaked in 2023 after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian intelligence agents of orchestrating the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil, leading to a serious diplomatic standoff and calls for accountability on both sides.
Strategically, India faced ongoing challenges from China’s expanding influence in South Asia. Beijing’s investments in ports and infrastructure in Sri Lanka, its growing military presence in the Indian Ocean, and increased political engagement in Nepal and the Maldives intensified concerns over regional security and India’s traditional sphere of influence.
With inputs from agencies
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