When the World Honours PM Narendra Modi, Every Indian Feels a Reflection of Bharat’s Rise

When the World Honours PM Narendra Modi, Every Indian Feels a Reflection of Bharat’s Rise

  Prof. Jasim Mohammad 

On 17 September 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi turns 76. For an ordinary Indian, a birthday is a deeply personal moment; the birth of a life, a journey and the relationships created along the way. But the birthday of a Prime Minister, who has spent decades in public life is inevitably a moment to consider the journey of a nation through the journey of one of its most consequential political leaders. Modi’s story is interlinked with that of the aspirations of a changing Bharat, which wants prosperity without losing identity, modernity without abandoning roots, and global influence without compromising strategic independence.

Another compelling aspect of this journey is that governments across the world have repeatedly honoured Narendra Modi with their highest or among their highest civilian distinctions. These have now extended to countries across continents – from the Order of the Nile of Egypt and France’s Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, to Bhutan’s Order of the Druk Gyalpo, Russia’s Order of St Andrew, Nigeria’s Order of the Niger, Mauritius’s Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean, Brazil’s Order of the Southern Cross and several other national honours. In September 2026, Uzbekistan’s highest state honour, the Oliy Darajali Do‘stlik, was also conferred on him, taking the reported tally of foreign honours to 35.

But the most meaningful aspect of these honours is not about the manner in which the medals have been displayed in a room. The more important question is to understand what these honours mean to the ordinary citizen sitting in a village in Kashmir, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, a coastal settlement in Kerala, a tribal district in Odisha, a manufacturing hub in Gujarat or a technology corridor in Karnataka. The importance lies in the changing manner in which India is perceived abroad. For decades, Indians often encountered a world in which India was described primarily through the vocabulary of poverty, scarcity and developing-country limitations. But today, India’s conversation with the world increasingly takes place in the language of partnership, technology, infrastructure, strategic cooperation, climate action, entrepreneurship, culture and opportunity.

That transformation matters because national prestige is not an abstract concept. When an Indian student applies to a foreign university, when an entrepreneur seeks an international investor, when an Indian company enters a new market, when an engineer works on a global project, when a farmer’s produce reaches an international market or when an Indian traveller carries a passport across borders, the country’s reputation forms part of the environment in which that individual operates. International recognition of India’s leadership thus becomes, at least symbolically, recognition of a country that is increasingly confident about its place in the world.

Modi’s relationship with the ordinary citizen, however, cannot be reduced to foreign policy. His political appeal has always rested on the idea that national development must ultimately reach the last person in the queue. The language of governance has increasingly changed from grand declarations to delivery – bank accounts, digital payments, toilets, electricity connections, cooking gas, housing, drinking water, health protection, roads, connectivity and direct transfers. The significance of such measures are not that they make for impressive statistics alone. Their importance lies in what they mean to the family that once had to travel miles for a basic service, the woman who gained greater control over household finances, the young person who can transact digitally, or the family that can imagine a better home as a possibility.

Modi’s political journey thus connects with the idea of seva. His public persona has always presented politics not simply as the exercise of power but as the instrument of service. Whether one agrees with every policy decision or not, it is difficult to ignore the scale at which the language of welfare, development and citizen-oriented delivery has incorporated into India’s political vocabulary. The Prime Minister’s birthday thus provides an opportunity to ask about the question of governance reaching people in a manner that they can feel in their daily lives.

For the poor, the most powerful symbol of this approach is dignity. A toilet is not just a piece of infrastructure, it can mean privacy. A house is not just a roof; it can mean security. A bank account is not just an account number; it can mean entry into the formal financial system. A tap-water connection is not just a pipe, it can mean hours returned to a family’s day. Digital payments are not just technological achievements; they represent a dramatic reduction in distance between a citizen and the economic mainstream.

For women, this transformation acquires another meaning. The modern Indian woman increasingly occupies multiple spaces – as entrepreneur, student, professional, farmer, elected representative, scientist, soldier, athlete, creator and caregiver. Policies centred around financial inclusion, sanitation, clean cooking fuel, housing, entrepreneurship and women’s participation in development have contributed to the political vocabulary in which women are portrayed not merely as beneficiaries but as participants and leaders in India’s development journey. The idea of Nari Shakti has thus become one of the defining themes of contemporary national discourse.

For India’s youth, Modi’s Bharat represents a different promise – the promise of possibility. A generation born in the era of smartphones and social media does not want merely to inherit an India that works, it wants to build an India that leads. Start-ups, digital public infrastructure, innovation, space technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductor ambitions, sports and new educational opportunities have expanded the imagination of what an Indian young person can aspire to. The ambition is no longer only to find a job but increasingly to create a company, develop a technology, win on a global stage or solve a problem at scale.

For farmers, the idea of a stronger India abroad can also have a domestic meaning. Agriculture cannot remain isolated from global markets, technology, logistics and climate challenges. India’s expanding international partnerships can create opportunities for agricultural cooperation, food processing, technology transfer and export markets. The larger ambition is to move from an India that merely produces to an India that increasingly adds value, builds brands and participates confidently in global supply chains.

For the middle class, the Modi years have been associated with a different aspiration – the desire for a government that is increasingly digital, accessible and capable of delivering at scale. The rapid growth of digital public infrastructure has made India a remarkable example of how technology can be used for everyday transactions and public services. The UPI revolution, for instance, has transformed the experience of making small payments for millions of citizens and simultaneously projected India’s digital capabilities to the world. What may look like a technological achievement from abroad is often as simple as paying a shopkeeper with a mobile phone from an ordinary person’s perspective.

The international honours become particularly significant when viewed through the lens of this domestic transformation. Bhutan’s highest civilian honour, the Order of the Druk Gyalpo, Egypt’s Order of the Nile, France’s Legion of Honour, Russia’s Order of St Andrew and numerous honours from countries in Africa, the Gulf, Europe, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean region represent relationships that have been built between India and other nations. The awards are conferred on an individual leader but the diplomacy behind them concerns the interests of two countries. That distinction is important – when Modi receives an honour, the Indian Prime Minister is the recipient but the relationship being celebrated is fundamentally between nations.

There is also a geographical symbolism that is connected to this recognition. The countries honouring Modi are not confined to one ideological, economic or geopolitical bloc. They span the Arab world, Africa, Europe, Eurasia, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia and the Americas. That breadth suggests an India that seeks relationships in multiple directions rather than one that defines itself through a single strategic camp. The diplomatic vocabulary of the Modi era has increasingly emphasised partnerships with different centres of power while placing Indian interests at the centre.

This is particularly visible in India’s relationship with the Global South. For countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific, India’s rise carries a different meaning from that perceived in traditional Western capitals. India is simultaneously a developing country, a major economy, a technology power, a civilisational state and a democracy. Modi’s emphasis on giving the Global South a stronger voice has helped position India as a country seeking not merely a larger seat at existing tables but a greater role in shaping the tables themselves.

The international recognition of Modi can thus be read as one expression of a larger phenomenon – India’s confidence is becoming visible beyond India’s borders. The Indian who watches an Indian Prime Minister receive a foreign country’s highest civilian honour may feel a sense of quiet pride due to moments that challenge an older psychological hierarchy where Indians were accustomed to seeing Western leaders as the primary global figures. The symbolism is powerful – an Indian leader can enter capitals across the world and be received with the ceremonial respect traditionally associated with the world’s established powers.

But perhaps the deepest connection between Modi and the ordinary Indians lies not in medals, summits and photographs with world leaders but in aspiration. The tea seller’s son who imagines his child becoming an engineer; the village student who dreams of entering a university; the young entrepreneur who wants to build a global company; the woman who wants to become financially independent; the farmer who wants better markets; the family that wants a secure home – these aspirations are what constitute the real India. Modi’s political narrative has connected national development with these everyday hopes.

This is why the phrase Viksit Bharat has acquired such significance. Development is no longer presented merely as an economic target. It is increasingly framed as a national mission that requires citizens, institutions, entrepreneurs, farmers, scientists, teachers, workers and young people to participate. The central idea is that a developed India cannot be created by government alone. It requires the transformation of India’s social confidence – from a society asking what the government can provide to one increasingly asking what citizens themselves can create.

At 76, therefore, Modi’s journey offers a remarkable political paradox. He represents continuity because he has been in public life for decades but has built much of his political identity around transformation. He invokes India’s ancient civilisational inheritance while aggressively embracing digital technology. He speaks about yoga and heritage while promoting semiconductors and artificial intelligence. He invokes local manufacturing while pursuing global investment. He speaks of cultural confidence while advocating India’s active engagement with the international system. This combination of tradition and modernity is one of the defining characteristics of his political vision.

Of course, a mature democracy must allow disagreement. No government, including the Modi government, should be beyond scrutiny. Development must be measured not only by announcements but by outcomes; institutions must remain accountable; citizens must retain the right to question authority; and India’s democratic diversity must remain a strength. Celebrating a Prime Minister’s birthday should not necessarily mean suspending critical thinking. In fact, the strongest form of national confidence is one that can celebrate achievements but continue to demand better governance.

But birthdays also provide an opportunity to acknowledge journeys. Narendra Modi’s journey – from Vadnagar to the highest elected office in the Republic of India, from state politics to becoming one of the most recognisable Indian leaders on the global stage – is extraordinary by any measure. In 2026, his journey has also crossed another milestone – 25 years in public office since he became Gujarat’s Chief Minister in October 2001.

The most appropriate tribute to Modi on his 76th birthday is not to count the number of awards displayed in a room. It is to understand what these honours represent. They represent an India whose voice is being heard in more capitals, an India whose partnerships are becoming broader, an India whose technology is being discussed globally, an India whose cultural identity is being asserted with greater confidence, and an India whose citizens increasingly believe that the country can compete with the best in the world.

Ultimately, the story of Narendra Modi’s birthday is best understood in the context of the aspirations of a billion-plus people. The Prime Minister may stand on the international stage to receive an honour but behind that moment are the Indian student, farmer, worker, entrepreneur, scientist, soldier, teacher, mother, migrant and senior citizen. Their hopes give meaning to the idea of national progress. Their work gives substance to India’s rise. And their aspirations transform a political slogan into a national mission.

As Narendra Modi enters his 77th year, the most powerful question is not about how many more honours he may receive. It is about whether India can continue to translate global recognition into domestic opportunity, national confidence into inclusive prosperity and aspiration into achievement. If the answer is yes, then every international honour presented to India’s Prime Minister will carry a significance far beyond the individual standing on the podium.

It will be a reminder that when the world recognises India’s growing stature, Bharat itself is being seen differently – and every Indian has a stake in that transformation.

(Author is Professor and Chairman Centre for NaMo Studies (CNMS). Email : namostudies@gmail.com)

Served As:- Head & Group Editor, Roznama Rashtriya Sahara (National Urdu Daily)  

- Editor in Chief , Aalami Sahara TV at Sahara News Network

-Bureau Chief, The Daily Pioneer (English & Hindi)

-Media Advisor, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)

Presently ; Managing Trustee/ Chairman

Centre for NaMo Studies (CNMS)

{ A Centre for Research & Development}     

www.namostudies.com Email: modistudies@gmail.com

Personal : Email: profjasimmd@gmail.com,

Mobile No. 099970 63595