INDIA is on the cusp of a take-off, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an interview to The Financial Times towards the end of the year. He pointed out that India has progressed from being one of the ‘Fragile Five’ (identified by a Morgan Stanley researcher in 2013) to the world’s fifth-largest economy. Back in 2013, India was in a state of utter despondency towards the end of a decade of Congress-led UPA rule. In 2023, it has emerged as the fastest-growing economy amid global downturn.
Not many outside his state and inner party circles knew Narendra Modi when the BJP picked him as its prime ministerial candidate in 2013, ahead of General Elections. His detractors at home and abroad even vilified him. Today, as PM Modi nears completion of his second term, he has emerged as India’s unchallengeable political figure who tops popularity ranking of world statesmen.
The year 2023 has further enhanced the glitter of India under his rule. In a world deeply divided by the RussiaUkraine conflict and the Israel-Hamas war, PM Modi is being looked as the only voice of sanity to which the rivals listen. From managing India’s periphery to engaging with global powers, the diplomatic and leadership skills of PM Modi have seen India’s confident revival, outlined by its achievements in 2023, including its G20 presidency and lunar mission, a post-Covid19 recovery and robust growth.
As curtains draw on 2023, its time to reflect on PM Modi’s strategic and impactful foreign visits that have shaped India’s global standing. Throughout the year, PM Modi embarked on a series of diplomatic missions, fostering international collaborations, strengthening ties and showcasing India’s commitments to international peace and development. The cherry on top of the cake was India’s G20 presidency that witnessed a refocussing on growth and achievement of SDGs. Convening a Global South gathering was a preclude to inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member.
The world is inter-connected and interdependent. Under PM Modi, India’s foremost guiding principle in foreign affairs is the country’s national interest. This stance allows New Delhi to engage with various nations in a manner that respects mutual interests and acknowledges the complexities of contemporary geo-politics.
While the year saw PM elevate India’s international stature to unprecedented level, his policies of inclusive development for all also paid rich political dividends for the Bharatiya Janata Party. This was vividly demonstrated by the BJP’s hat-trick in recent Assembly elections in the central Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. While in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, it dislodged Opposition-ruled governments, in Madhya Pradesh it won with a spectacular majority.
At the end of the year, the BJP under him exudes confidence of sweeping the General Elections due in a few months as the people believe that Modi is a sure guarantee for their growth and development. The Government has set a record “of solid change in the common man’s life”. Today, the people of India have very different aspirations from the ones they had 10 years back. Globally, an aspirational India has surpassed China by population and is being touted by world leaders, business consultants and banks as an alternative investment destination for a world increasingly suspicious of Beijing.
