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Narendra Modi.

નરેન્દ્ર મોદી Narendrabhai Damodardas Modi

Narendra Modi — Academic
Born Vadnagar, India
Citizenship India
Age 75 yr Today

12 min read

Reading time

2,225

Words

Published

18

Film credits

24

Awards

TL;DR

Narendra Modi became the 14th Prime Minister of India in May 2014 after leading the Bharatiya Janata Party to a parliamentary majority for the first time since 1984. He was sworn in for a third consecutive term on June 9, 2024, following another decisive victory in the 2024 elections. Modi previously served as Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2013 and has been a member of the BJP since 1980. He was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2014.

Identity & family.

KIN · 2

Names, aliases, and relatives of Narendra Modi — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Narendrabhai Damodardas Modi
Native Name નરેન્દ્ર મોદી
Nicknames India's Ronald Reagan, NaMo
Aliases Prime Minister Narendra Modi, The Prime Minister of India
Parents
Heeraben Modi Damodardas Mulchand Modi

At a glance.

STATS

Narendra Modi by the numbers — life, work, and family.

75 Age
18 Film credits
24 Awards

Who is Narendra Modi?

BIOGRAPHY

Narendra Modi — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

Growing up in Vadnagar, a small town in the State of Bombay, Narendra Modi learned the value of hard work early, helping his father sell tea at the railway station. Born on September 17, 1950, to Heeraben and Damodardas Mulchand Modi, he was raised in a Gujarati-speaking household. His upbringing and work as a tea seller are often cited as formative experiences that shaped his connection with the common people. He studied at Gujarat University and the University of Delhi, though his formal education was limited.

In 1980, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party, beginning a full-time political career that would lead him to become one of India’s most prominent leaders.

Career

Modi’s political career accelerated when he became Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001, a position he held until 2013. In the 2014 Indian general election, he led the BJP to 282 seats, the first single-party majority since 1984. He was sworn as Prime Minister on May 26, 2014. The BJP’s seats increased to 303 in 2019, and after the 2024 election, Modi began his third consecutive term on June 9, 2024.

An investigation cleared him of any involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots, which occurred during his tenure as Chief Minister. As Prime Minister, he has pursued economic reforms, digital initiatives, and strengthened international relations. He has received awards such as the Order of the Nile and the Seoul Peace Prize. He has also appeared in documentary films like An Insignificant Man 2016 and India: The Modi Question 2023.

Personal life

Modi’s parents, Heeraben and Damodardas Mulchand Modi, were from Vadnagar. His mother Heeraben died in 2022 at age 99. Modi speaks Gujarati as his native language and maintains a frugal lifestyle. He has never married and keeps a disciplined personal schedule, often working long hours. His personal life remains largely private, with his family background and early struggles being the only widely known aspects.

Legacy

Modi is the second Indian Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to win three consecutive general elections. His tenure has reshaped India’s political landscape, establishing the BJP as the dominant party. He has received international recognition, including the Order of King Abdulaziz al Saud 2016 and the Legion of Merit 2020. Time Magazine listed him among the 100 Most Influential People in April 2014. His decisive electoral victories, his role in modernizing India’s economy, and his ability to connect with the masses through speeches and social media define his legacy.

Filmography.

FILMS · 18

The complete filmography of Narendra Modi — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

  1. TV Poster for Aap Ki Adalat

    Aap Ki Adalat

  2. TV Poster for Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

    Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj

  3. TV Poster for Coronavirus, Explained

    Coronavirus, Explained

  4. Movie Poster for An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power

    An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power

  5. Movie Poster for Vaccine Diplomacy

    Vaccine Diplomacy

  6. TV Poster for Man Vs Wild with Bear Grylls & PM Modi

    Man Vs Wild with Bear Grylls & PM Modi

  7. Movie Poster for 100 Years of Chrysostom

    100 Years of Chrysostom

  8. Movie Poster for The Forum

    The Forum

  9. Movie Poster for India: Spreading Hate

    India: Spreading Hate

  10. Movie Poster for An Insignificant Man

    An Insignificant Man

  11. Movie Poster for A SON oF HIMALAYA

    A SON oF HIMALAYA

  12. TV Poster for India: the Modi Question

    India: the Modi Question

  13. Movie Poster for Operation Sindoor: a Nation's Resolve

    Operation Sindoor: a Nation's Resolve

  14. Movie Poster for The Evacuation: Operation Ganga

    The Evacuation: Operation Ganga

Showing 14 of 18 View all 18 films

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 24

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Narendra Modi — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

  • CNN-News18 Indian of the Year
  • Amir Amanullah Khan Award
  • Order of King Abdulaziz al Saud
  • Order of Zayed
  • Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of Palestine
  • Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called
  • Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin
  • Legion of Merit
  • Seoul Peace Prize
  • Ig Nobel Prize
  • Time 100
  • Order of the Dragon King
  • Order of Bahrain
  • Order of the Nile
  • Order of Fiji
  • Order of Logohu
  • Order of the Star of Palestine
  • Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour
  • Order of Honour
  • Order of the State of Palestine
  • Order of Freedom of Barbados
  • Order of the Niger
  • Order of Mubarak the Great
  • Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 5

A wall of memorable lines from Narendra Modi — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

  • We Should Not Look at Terrorism from the Name Plates Which Group They Belong To, What Is Their Geographical Location, Who Are Their Victims. These Individual Groups or Names Will Keep Changing. Today You Are Looking at the Taliban or ISIS; Tomorrow You May Be Looking at Another Name. We Should Pass the U.N.’s Comprehensive Convention on Intenational Terrorism. at Least It Will Clearly Establish Whom You View as a Terrorist and Whom You Don’t. We Need to Delink Terrorism from Religion.

  • If You Were to Ask Me to Choose Between Democratic Values and Wealth, Power, Prosperity and Fame, I Will Easily and with Any Doubt Choose Democratic Values. so If You Were to Ask Me Whether You Need a Dictatorship to Run India, No You Do Not.

  • I Was Born in a Very Poor Family. I Used to Sell Tea in a Railway Coach as a Child. My Mother Used to Wash Utensils and Do Lowly Housework in the Houses of Others to Earn a Livelihood. I Have Seen Poverty Very Closely. I Have Lived in Poverty. as a Child, My Entire Childhood Was Steeped in Poverty. for Me, Poverty in a Way Was the First Inspiration in My Life.

  • Different Departments Tend to Work in Silos Each Seems to Be a Government in Itself. My Effort Has Been to Break These Silos Down, so That Everybody Looks at a Problem in a Collective Manner. I See the Federal Government Not as an Assembled Entity but as an Organic Entity.

  • My Philosophy, the Philosophy of My Party and the Philosophy of My Government Is ‘Sabka Saath’ Together with All, Progress for All…My Government Will Not Accept Tolerate or Accept Any Discrimination Based on Caste, Creed, and Religion.

Did you know?

FACTS · 8

Little-known facts about Narendra Modi — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

  1. Time Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in April 2014.

  2. Pankaj Mishra wrote an homage for Modi in Time Magazine’s The 100 Most Influential People issue.

  3. He has been the Prime Minister of India since 26 May 2014.

  4. Modi has been a member of India’s Bhartiya Janata Party since 1980.

  5. He was declared his party’s Prime Minister candidate for the 2014 general elections at its Goa convention in 2013.

  6. Modi was investigated and cleared of any involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots during his tenure as Chief Minister.

  7. He served as Chief Minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat from 2001 until 2013.

  8. Modi led the BJP to win the 2014 general election with 282 seats, the first time since 1984 a party won an outright majority. He became India’s first Prime Minister born after independence in 1947. The BJP’s mandate increased to 303 seats in 2019 and decreased to 240 in 2024, but combined coalition seats kept BJP in power, making Modi only the second Indian Prime Minister after Jawaharlal Nehru to win three consecutive general elections.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 46

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Narendra Modi.

Audited & updated by

Emma Richardson

Senior Editorial Director & Managing Editor

Emma has 8 years of editorial experience and a very clear idea of what a good biography looks like. At Famousy, she runs the editorial operation and decides what meets the bar and what doesn't. She's the kind of editor who remembers the profiles she pushed back on more clearly than the ones she approved. That's not a complaint. That's exactly why the site reads the way it does.

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