Premiership of Narendra Modi

The premiership of Narendra Modi began 26 May 2014 with his swearing-in as the prime minister of India at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. He succeeded Manmohan Singh of the Indian National Congress (INC).

In 2019, he was elected as the prime minister of India for a second term and sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on 30 May 2019. His second cabinet consisted of 54 ministers and initially had 51 ministers, which was expanded to 77 ministers during a reshuffle on 7 July 2021. Modi was sworn in for a third term as prime minister, heading a coalition government, on 9 June 2024.

His premiership has, to a considerable extent, embodied a high command culture. India has experienced significant democratic backsliding under his tenure.

Modi is the longest serving non-Congress prime minister of India. In 2024, Modi became the first non-Congress leader to win three consecutive general elections and secure a third consecutive term as prime minister of India, with Jawaharlal Nehru being the only other person to do so. As of August 2025, Modi is the third longest serving prime minister of India, after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. His first cabinet consisted of 45 ministers, 25 fewer than the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. A total of 21 ministers were added to the council of ministers on 9 November 2014.

The economic policies of Modi's government focused on privatisation and liberalization of the economy, based on a neoliberal framework. Modi liberalised India's foreign direct investment policies, allowing more foreign investment in several industries, including in defence and the railways.

The first eight years of Modi's premiership, India's GDP grew at an average rate of 5.5% compared to the rate of 7.03% under the previous government.

The level of income inequality increased significantly, while an internal government report said that in 2017, unemployment had increased to its highest level in 45 years. This was attributed to the 2016 demonetisation, which was an issuance of new banknotes in an effort to curtail the black market, as well as the effects of the Goods and Services Tax, the biggest tax reform in the country since independence.

One of the major impacts of Modi's economic reforms has been introduction of UPI payment service, an indigenous payment system that made India a leading nation in cashless transactions. UPI has visibly contributed to reduced corruption and increased financial inclusion.