Twelve years after Narendra Modi first took oath as Prime Minister, those who have watched him up close describe a leader driven by a singular obsession: securing India’s rise and reshaping its place in the world. Prime Minister Modi’s structured foreign policy knows no bounds. Executive Editor of Hindustan Times, Shishir Gupta , who has known Modi for over 25 years, paints a portrait of a workaholic strategist with unusual clarity of purpose, an uncompromising line on national security, and a tightly knit but formidable inner team.
Modi today crossed the record of Nehru's 4,399 days in power as an elected prime minister. (PMO)
A leader who plans, then executes
Gupta’s central characterisation of Modi is of a leader who effortlessly switches between the big picture and the ground reality. He describes a Prime Minister who can “see the lay of the land at 50,000 feet” and then drill down into the operational nuts and bolts of implementation, combining visualisation with hard-nosed execution.
This, Gupta argues, is what differentiates Modi from many of his predecessors: a long-term vision tightly coupled with the stamina and discipline to see things through. Modi is described as “committed to India, passionate about India, passionate about Indians,” someone who genuinely believes in the idea of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” and places particular emphasis on women’s empowerment as a political and social priority.
Those who work with him, Gupta suggests, encounter a man who works “24x7”, hears people out with considerable patience, rarely reacts in haste - but once he takes a decision, stands by it firmly. This proves just how reliable he is. He neither forgets nor forgives easily, a trait that shapes both his politics and his security doctrine.
Bringing India to the “global high table”
On foreign policy, Gupta credits Modi with systematically building India’s capabilities and visibility on the global stage over the last 12 years. This spans disaster relief missions, vaccine diplomacy, infrastructure partnerships and crisis evacuations, where he repeatedly positions India as a reliable responder and partner.
Modi, in this telling, is clear about what he wants the world to see when it looks at India. A vision that isn’t clouded, a vision that comes from his experience as a common man in the country. He has a defined line on China, terrorism, the Gulf, and the United States, and is willing to depart from past approaches rooted in emotion or legacy. When China pushed in Doklam, Pangong Tso and later Galwan, Gupta says Modi’s instinct was immediate confrontation, not equivocation.
A revealing anecdote comes from the Doklam crisis. When National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, then Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and Army Chief General Bipin Rawat briefed him that the PLA was moving towards the Jampheri Ridge and the Torsa Nala, Modi’s response was blunt: “What are you waiting for then?” The message, Gupta suggests, was to stand firm and block the move - something that was later mirrored in the approach to Galwan and eastern Ladakh.
Gupta also underlines Modi’s balancing act with major powers:
Deepened ties with the Gulf states - UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman - in a way “nobody has done in the past.”
Close working relationships with Russia and its leadership, while simultaneously enhancing ties with the United States and Israel.
A readiness to diverge from Washington and not bow down to its policies - such as continuing to buy Russian oil - when he believes Indian interests demand it. A clear move that defines ‘India First’.
On evacuations - from Yemen to Sudan to Ukraine - Gupta portrays Modi as personally invested in ensuring Indians are protected abroad, seeing this as part of his core responsibility as Prime Minister.
One early episode with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in September 2014, becomes an example of Modi’s mix of outreach and firmness. Modi rolled out the red carpet for Xi in Ahmedabad, but when the PLA transgressed in Chumar during the visit, he made it clear that if Chinese troops did not pull back, he would assume the move had Xi’s approval. For Gupta, this encapsulates Modi’s style: courteous in diplomacy, but upfront and candid when core interests are threatened. A protector, a guide.
“Tough as nails” on terrorism
If there is one area where Gupta believes Modi has fundamentally reshaped India’s posture, it is counter-terrorism. He describes a Prime Minister with a “clear-cut policy”: if terrorism is carried out against India, there will be a punishing response, and nothing will pass without consequences.
Gupta recounts in detail the events of 27 February 2019, a day after the Balakot air strikes (Operation Bandar) on a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp following the Pulwama attack. When Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured in Pakistan and images of him bloodied in custody were broadcast, Modi’s reaction, as narrated by Gupta, was immediate escalation.
According to him, the Prime Minister sent…
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