Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on 9 June said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has helped India rediscover its cultural pride and national self-belief, as Modi prepares to surpass Jawaharlal Nehru's record as the longest continuously serving elected Prime Minister of India. Naidu shared his views in an article published in The Indian Express.

Naidu's Assessment of Modi's Leadership

Writing in his capacity as Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president — and as a key coalition partner in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre — Naidu described the milestone as a reflection of the enduring trust millions of Indians have placed in a governance model anchored in 'Nation First'.

'I have often said that Narendra Modi was the right leader at the right time for India. After 12 years, that conviction has only strengthened further. History will remember this period not merely for economic growth or political stability, but for something deeper — the restoration of India's confidence in itself,' Naidu wrote.

He added that in nearly five decades of public life he had observed several prime ministers, but that Modi 'stands apart because he has combined civilisational confidence with modern governance.'

From Hesitant Giant to Global Confidence

Naidu argued that for many decades after independence, India 'behaved like a sleeping giant, hesitant about our identity and uncertain of our place in the world.' He credited Modi with reversing that posture, writing that 'India today stands with far greater confidence and strategic relevance in the global order' and engages with major powers guided by the principle of 'India First.'

He also noted that this revival was not rooted in nostalgia alone. According to Naidu, Modi integrated India's ancient knowledge systems — yoga, pranayama, meditation and spiritual traditions — with modern technology, digital governance and innovation-led growth, a synthesis he described as potentially India's defining contribution to the 21st century.

Economic Rise and Digital Inclusion

Naidu highlighted that over the past decade India has moved from the world's 11th-largest to the 4th-largest economy. He pointed to the country's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Jan Dhan accounts, Aadhaar integration, UPI and Direct Benefit Transfers as constituting 'one of the largest financial inclusion exercises in human history.'

'More than ₹51 lakh crore has been directly transferred to beneficiaries, eliminating middlemen and reducing leakages at an unprecedented scale,' he wrote, adding that India had 'bridged the economic divide by first bridging the digital divide.'

Infrastructure, Federalism and Social Transformation

The Chief Minister also cited large-scale investments in highways, ports, airports, freight corridors, railways, renewable energy, manufacturing and emerging technologies as foundational, long-term nation-building decisions rather than moves made for immediate political gain.

On federalism, Naidu observed that competitive and cooperative federalism has given states greater space to innovate and grow, with states increasingly treated as engines of national development. He noted that Andhra Pradesh has benefited through projects related to infrastructure, industrialisation, Amaravati and emerging technologies.

Naidu also cited the scale of social transformation — millions lifted out of multidimensional poverty and improvements in housing, sanitation, healthcare, water and rural infrastructure — as equally significant achievements of the past 12 years.

Resilience Amid Global Disruption

Noting that the world has faced unprecedented disruptions — from the COVID-19 pandemic and supply-chain shocks to geopolitical conflicts and economic uncertainty — Naidu argued that India has remained resilient, stable and among the fastest-growing major economies through this period. He described the current moment as 'India's defining moment, the beginning of a golden era.'

As Modi crosses the record milestone, the political significance of the tribute — coming from a long-time ally who has himself served as Chief Minister across multiple tenures — is likely to amplify its resonance within NDA circles ahead of future electoral cycles.