Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on 7 October 2026 described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 25 uninterrupted years in executive office as a 'remarkable journey of leadership sustained by public trust,' in a tribute article published in The Hindu. Modi completes the milestone on Wednesday — having served first as Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 and then as Prime Minister of India since 2014.

Naidu's tribute: Trust, integrity, and execution

Writing in his personal capacity, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo — whose party is a key coalition partner in the current National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government — argued that no leader can sustain two and a half decades in office on politics alone. 'It requires trust. Mr. Modi has earned that trust through an established track record, impeccable personal integrity and tireless self-discipline,' Naidu wrote.

He also drew on his own 48 years in public life to argue that leadership — defined by vision, credibility, integrity and the ability to execute — remains the true differentiator for nations in an age when technology, capital and ideas are freely available.

Infrastructure and welfare: Numbers cited

Naidu catalogued a range of statistics he attributed to the Modi era. India's National Highway network, he noted, expanded from roughly 91,287 km in 2014 to more than 1,46,000 km. The country's airport network grew from 74 in 2014 to over 160. Installed renewable energy capacity has reached nearly 296 GW — including large hydro — with solar alone crossing 168 GW.

On the welfare front, Naidu pointed to tapwater coverage in rural homes rising from about 17% in 2019 to over 82%, and cited government data indicating an estimated 24.8 crore Indians moved out of multidimensional poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23. Around 80 crore people currently receive free foodgrains under central schemes, he added.

Technology and global standing

Naidu, long regarded as one of India's most technology-focused state leaders, credited Modi with a 'deep appreciation of technology' and its role in governance. He highlighted India's Digital Public Infrastructure, the quantum mission, the semiconductor mission, and Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes across electronics and advanced manufacturing as examples of this orientation. He also praised the opening of the space sector to private enterprise, which he said 'unleashed a new generation of entrepreneurs.'

On India's international position, Naidu argued that the country's voice is heard 'with greater respect on global platforms,' and that it has preserved strategic autonomy while building wider partnerships — positioning itself as a 'modern, technology-driven' civilisation.

What comes next: Viksit Bharat 2047

Naidu framed the 25-year milestone not as a culmination but as a launchpad. 'The true significance of these 25 years will be judged by what they enable India to achieve next,' he wrote, adding that the direction set and institutional momentum created during this period would help India realise the Viksit Bharat 2047 ambition. He expressed confidence that the country could 'reclaim its place among the world's leading nations' if the right decisions are made in the years ahead.