Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become India’s longest-serving head of government, breaking the previous record of 8,930 days held by former Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling. Combining his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister and Prime Minister, he has crossed 8,931 days in office, marking a historic milestone in Indian politics. He has many milestones and records to his name. He is the first and only non-Congress Prime Minister to secure a majority on his own in the Lok Sabha and win three consecutive terms (2014, 2019, 2024). He is also the first Prime Minister born after India attained independence in 1947. As of July 2025, he became the second longest-serving Prime Minister of India, surpassing Indira Gandhi’s tenure.
- He also has an unbroken Electoral Record, having won six consecutive elections (three as MLA/CM in Gujarat and three as PM in the Lok Sabha). He is the longest-serving non-Congress PM.He holds this distinction while also being the longest-serving Prime Minister from a non-Hindi-speaking state. As far as popularity goes, in February 2026, he became the first world leader and politician to cross 100 million followers on Instagram, which has significance in the present day world of social media.
It may be recalled that he transitioned from CM to PM, having served as Gujarat Chief Minister for over 13 years (2001–2014) before becoming PM. He won the support of the people at the national level because of the much appreciated ‘Gujarat Model of Governance’ that focused on providing economic growth. He transformed this approach to the “Viksit Bharat” goal. From the beginning, his leadership has focused on transforming India into a developed nation by 2047, despite the many challenges that have been experienced, thus far. His tenure has been marked by initiatives like “Make in India,” “Digital India,” and infrastructural developments like the Central Vista project.
Statistics show that over 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty during his national tenure, for which he should be given credit even by his opponents. He has also focused on direct governance due to the emphasis he has given on direct digital communication with citizens and a “nation-first” approach. This has been encapsulated in his ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ strategy – giving direction to the political philosophy of the BJP at the Centre and the states it rules. The importance he has given to the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ objective has been shown to be particularly relevant in the ongoing West Asia crisis.
His flagship initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, Ayushman Bharat scheme, and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, have been lauded for making governance people-centric. As such, it is a moment of celebration for his party and supporters. It will be some time before a leader emerges that can match these achievements. It is very likely that he will also surpass Nehru’s record as the longest serving Prime Minister.
