Archive · 18 Sep 2026
Modi’s Leadership Lessons From Ambition to Reality
The author describes working with Narendra Modi in several government roles.
He says Modi encouraged officials to think bigger about India’s future.
One example was the Dholera project in Gujarat, which grew from a proposed 150 square kilometres to 750 square kilometres.
Modi later asked officials to make it easier for people and businesses to operate in India.
The government worked on reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.
The author also says Modi supported new fields such as artificial intelligence, space and green hydrogen.
A programme focused on India’s most backward districts used data to measure progress in health, education and infrastructure.
The author says Modi also helped India bring countries together for the G20 and sees this as an important lesson in leadership.
Narendra Modi expanded the proposed Dholera green-field city project from 150 to 750 square kilometres in Gujarat.
The Gujarat government enacted the Special Investment Region Act and declared Dholera SIR in 2009.
As prime minister, Modi directed officials to improve India’s Ease of Doing Business ranking, which later rose 79 places.
The author credits Modi’s government with advancing reforms, frontier technologies, green hydrogen and India’s space sector.
As India’s G20 Sherpa, the author says Modi helped build consensus around the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration.
- Who
- The author, a former CEO of NITI Aayog and India’s G20 Sherpa, describes working with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- What
- The article presents the author’s lessons from Modi’s leadership and government initiatives in urban development, economic reform, technology, development and diplomacy.
- When
- The account covers experiences beginning in 2009 and continuing through Modi’s tenure as prime minister.
- Where
- The events described took place in India, including Gujarat, New Delhi and districts across the country.
- Why
- The author aims to explain how Modi’s ambition, policy focus and use of government institutions helped turn major national goals into programmes and outcomes.
Author’s assessment
Article limitations
Leadership and ambition
Author’s assessment
The author portrays Modi as a leader who imagines large goals and mobilises the state, administration and nation to achieve them.
Article limitations
The article is a first-person tribute by a former senior official and does not present criticism or independent assessments of Modi’s leadership.
Policy results
Author’s assessment
The author credits Modi-era reforms and programmes with improving India’s business ranking, developing backward districts and expanding opportunities in technology and space.
Article limitations
The article attributes these outcomes largely to Modi’s leadership and does not discuss alternative explanations, implementation problems or opposing evaluations.
- Dholera project
- The proposed green-field city project expanded from 150 square kilometres to 750 square kilometres.
- Dholera SIR
- The Gujarat government enacted the Special Investment Region Act and declared Dholera SIR in 2009.
- Ease of Doing Business
- India rose 79 places after reforms aimed at making the country easier and more efficient for citizens and businesses.
- Major reforms
- The author cites the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the Goods and Services Tax and the removal of outdated rules and procedures.
- Aspirational Districts Programme
- The programme targeted India’s most backward districts and measured progress in health, education, agriculture, financial inclusion and infrastructure.
- G20 outcome
- The New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration was unanimously passed during India’s G20 presidency.
- Green development
- The National Green Hydrogen Mission is cited as an effort to support industrial growth without harming the planet.