Exactly 12 years ago, on 26 May 2014, Narendra Modi was sworn in as India's 15th Prime Minister at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, marking the start of a political era that continues to define the country's trajectory. The occasion followed a landmark general election in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 282 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha — a clear outright majority that no single party had achieved in 30 years.

A Historic Mandate

The 2014 verdict was the first time since 1984 that a single party crossed the majority mark on its own. The last comparable mandate had come under the late Rajiv Gandhi, when the Indian National Congress (Congress) swept 400-plus seats on the back of a sympathy wave following Indira Gandhi's assassination, commanding more than 76% of the vote share. Between 1989 and 2014, India was governed by coalition arrangements — the United Front, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) — with no single party able to govern alone.

Modi's BJP nonetheless chose to lead the broader NDA, which together held 336 seats, honouring what political observers termed 'coalition dharma' even when it was not strictly necessary.

The Swearing-In That Signalled a New Foreign Policy

The oath-taking ceremony on the evening of 26 May 2014 drew over 4,000 guests — diplomats, business leaders, artists, and civil-society figures — to the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Then-President Pranab Mukherjee administered the oath of office and secrecy. Notably, heads of government from all eight SAARC nations were in attendance, an unprecedented diplomatic gesture that signalled a 'neighbourhood first' orientation in India's foreign policy from day one.

Modi's first Council of Ministers comprised 24 Cabinet ministers, 12 ministers of state, and 10 ministers of state with independent charge.

Economic and Governance Reforms Over 12 Years

Modi arrived in office as India grappled with slowing growth, elevated inflation, frequent power shortages, and a widespread perception of policy paralysis. His campaign slogan — 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' (Together with all, development for all) — was explicitly framed as a pivot from 'entitlement politics' to 'performance governance'.

Among the most consequential structural reforms was the Goods and Services Tax (GST), rolled out in 2017, which unified more than a dozen central and state levies into a single indirect tax regime. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) expanded formal banking to hundreds of millions of previously unbanked citizens, enabling the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system to route subsidies — including LPG subsidies and rural employment payments — directly to Aadhaar-linked accounts, reportedly reducing leakages.

India's nominal GDP roughly doubled over this period, from around USD 2 trillion in 2014 to approximately USD 4.2–4.3 trillion by 2025, according to available estimates. Pre-COVID growth rates periodically touched the 7–8% range, though the pandemic disrupted that trajectory.

Infrastructure, Digital India, and Welfare Schemes

The 'Digital India' initiative drove e-governance, rural broadband expansion, and a push towards paperless public services. Flagship welfare programmes — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (housing for all), Ujjwala Yojana (free LPG connections for women below the poverty line), and Ayushman Bharat (health insurance for low-income families) — have been cited by the government as evidence of broad-based social security outreach, though independent assessments of implementation outcomes have varied.

The 'Make in India' campaign sought to attract manufacturing investment, streamline regulatory clearances, and develop industrial corridors and smart cities. Critics have argued that manufacturing's share of GDP has not risen as sharply as targeted, even as foreign direct investment flows increased.

Security Posture and Global Standing

On the security front, the 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control — conducted in response to the Uri terrorist attack — and the 2019 Balakot airstrike following the Pulwama attack marked a publicly declared shift to a more assertive national-security doctrine. Both actions drew significant domestic political support, though they also generated debate over escalation risks.

Internationally, the Modi government pursued strategic autonomy, diversifying defence and trade partnerships across the United States, Japan, Russia, and European capitals. Initiatives such as the Act East Policy and the International Solar Alliance were positioned to reinforce India's standing as a consequential global actor.

Twelve years on, the arc of Modi's tenure — characterised by centralised decision-making, large-scale welfare delivery, digital governance, and an assertive foreign policy — remains a subject of both celebration and scrutiny, with the next chapter of Indian politics still being written.