Outsized expectations, 'euphoria phase' over: What the foreign press had to say on one year of PM Modi

It wasn’t just The Economist that was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he completed a year in office. International publications have largely questioned his achievements over the past year with many of them raising doubts over the coming tenure of the prime minister.

Mail Online , was perhaps the least critical of Modi’s first year in office and chose to extoll his virtues. From reducing inflation to under 5 per cent, to accelerating growth to over 7 per cent, these are achievements any nation would love to boast off as their own. According to them, if the Government continues in this vein, India can look forward to greater prosperity under Modi.

But other publications weren’t as charitable. Here’s what they had to say.

The Economist: India’s one-man band

“Mr Modi acts as if a lot of small improvements add up to transformative gains. They don’t. He is still thinking like the chief minister of Gujarat, not a national leader on a mission to make India rich and strong. If he is to transform his country, India’s one-man band needs a new tune.”

The Wall Street Journal: India’s Modi at One Year: ‘Euphoria Phase’ Is Over, Challenges Loom

“A year after Indian voters handed Narendra Modi a once-in-a-generation mandate for change and economic revival, messy realities are sinking in.”

“Mr Modi’s ‘Make in India’ drive, which aims to supercharge manufacturing growth to 12% to 14% a year, is so far mostly hype.”

New York Times: After a Year of Outsize Expectations, Modi Adjusts His Political Course for India

“From abroad, India is now seen as a bright spot, expected to pass China this year to become the world’s fastest-growing large economy. But at home, job growth remains sluggish. Businesses are in wait-and-see mode. And Mr. Modi has political vulnerabilities, as parliamentary opposition leaders block two of his central reform initiatives and brand him “anti-poor” and “anti-farmer.””

“Most formidable of all is a problem Mr Modi has made for himself: outsize expectations that he would sweep away constraints to growth in India, like stringent laws governing labor and land acquisition.”

Business Standard: Narendra Modi is squandering a mandate for change on feeble, unimaginative incrementalism

“Yet the constraint, one year on, is Mr Modi himself. The government’s confusion reflects his own lack of direction.”

“His incredible victory was won because people believed he would deliver a future that included jobs. He has not started building that future yet.”

The Diplomat: After One Year, India Expects Modi to Deliver

“BJP, which came riding the high horses of expectation, has been a disappointment for both the critics and supporters.”

“On Modi’s core campaign promise, fixing the economy, he hasn’t had much success. The corporate and middle classes of Indian society had hoped that the BJP would launch another wave of economic reforms. But despite boasting 282 of the 545 seats in the Lok Sabha, the government has shied away from making any radical decisions. "

BBC: Has Narendra Modi lived up to expectations?

“He raised massive hopes of transforming India; the tyranny of high expectations can bite badly.”

“Failing to deliver on a single major challenge could trip him up. Some 13 million Indians are seeking jobs every year, and if Mr Modi cannot get them work, he won’t have their votes. This is no longer an India which is endlessly willing to wait patiently.”

The Independent: Prime ministerial focus needed

“He has not however in his first year shown how he is going to drive that change through the national government and the states, and generate an investment-friendly image. Maybe he needs to have fewer grandiose trips abroad in the four years he has left before the next election and personally focus on running India in India.”