Veteran US journalist and foreign affairs commentator Fareed Zakaria has described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “India’s most consequential leader since Jawaharlal Nehru”, citing his longevity, political discipline and ability to retain momentum after more than a decade in power.

‘Most leaders falter after 10 years’

Speaking in an exclusive interview with NDTV Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal, Zakaria said long-serving leaders often lose effectiveness over time.
“Leaders start to lose it after 10 years, which leads to their downfall. You don’t see that in Modi’s case,” he said. Zakaria attributed this to a mix of weak opposition and the Prime Minister’s personal discipline, adding that Modi “does not seem to be fatiguing”.

Placing Modi in India’s leadership arc

Zakaria placed PM Modi in a long historical context, comparing his impact to that of India’s first Prime Minister.
“Modi is the most consequential Indian Prime Minister since Nehru,” he said.

Jawaharlal Nehru led India from independence in 1947 until his death in 1964, shaping the country’s democratic institutions, non-aligned foreign policy and a state-led economic framework. Zakaria observed that India has since changed significantly.
“The India I grew up in was much more socialist, but also more pluralistic. Now it is much richer, but some of these other metrics have decayed,” he noted.

Growth, politics and the BJP machine

Highlighting India’s economic trajectory, Zakaria pointed to the country’s growth rate of around 6.5 per cent, calling it the fastest-growing large economy. He also underlined the organisational strength of the BJP.
“The BJP is a well-organised party and works very hard at elections. Modi has been able to play the outsider-insider role in a very clever way,” he said.

India–US trade deal possible, with caveats

Zakaria also spoke about India–US relations, suggesting a trade deal is achievable if handled pragmatically. He said PM Modi could explain domestic political constraints on issues like agriculture, while offering concessions in areas valued by Washington, such as investment and defence purchases.

His remarks come days after Prime Minister Modi and former US President Donald Trump spoke by phone on December 11, discussing bilateral economic cooperation amid renewed signals of progress on a long-pending trade agreement.