Asian Window

Can India Inc’s emphatic approval of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi extend to the political realm? Saba Naqvi in Outook.

Some captains of Indian industry recently let the nation know (on the eve of a general election) that in Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi they have spotted a leader of great ability, a man who should be the next prime minister. This is not the first time industrialists have sung paeans to Modi. It’s almost an annual ritual in Modi’s Gujarat. Every January, NRIs and industrialists collect for the Vibrant Gujarat meet and speak of the genius of the Man.

Indeed, the projection of Modi as a national icon is part of an ongoing political project, supported strongly by business that seeks to eventually instal him at the pivot of Indian politics. The transformation of the pracharak to a man who casually strides with the captains of industry is in itself a story. At the superficial level, it is about sartorial change. But it’s also about his mastery of media and image projection. From a hated figure, he has managed to clothe himself in positive hues.

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Also in Outlook, R.K. Misra looks at Modi’s style of governance. Click here for that story.

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