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There are leaders remembered for their soaring political rhetoric, others for electoral victories, and some for the institutions they leave behind. Narendra Modi, in my experience, is best understood through something less obvious: His method.
Over the years, I had the opportunity to observe him closely, first as an administrator and later from within government. What struck me most was not any single policy decision, but the way he approached problems. Whether the issue was a sweeping national reform or an administrative bottleneck, his first instinct was always diagnosis. He rarely accepted a summary at face value. Instead, the questions would come quickly. What is happening on the ground? Why is it happening? What have you done so far? What exactly is preventing a solution? The questions were not designed to test people. They were designed to test assumptions. Once he understood the reality of a situation, the shift from diagnosis to action was remarkably swift.
I saw this most clearly during demonetisation.
The decision brought enormous logistical and economic challenges. Long reviews became routine. Every aspect of implementation was being monitored closely. Yet even while dealing with immediate pressures, Modi was already looking beyond the crisis itself. He saw an opportunity to accelerate digital payments across India. He did not view the challenge purely through a technological lens. He understood that ordinary citizens would not embrace digital transactions if commissions and transaction costs remained barriers. Rather than treating those costs as unavoidable, he pursued the issue directly with the Reserve Bank of India. The logic was simple. If friction was preventing adoption, then the friction had to be reduced. Even a vegetable vendor should be able to accept a digital payment.
There were, of course, many other questions around currency circulation, cash holdings, gold purchases and the extent to which money returned to the banking system. Yet what I remember most vividly is the relentless focus on solutions. That was characteristic of his approach: Identify the obstacle. Understand what sustains it. Remove it. What began as a period of disruption went on to become a major catalyst for India’s digital economy.
The same mindset shaped his expectations of those who worked with him.
Modi places extraordinary value on preparation. A proposal might appear flawless on paper, but within minutes his questions would reveal whether the presenter truly understood the issue. He expected policymakers to know not only the contents of a brief, but also the larger ecosystem around it: The administrative realities, institutional constraints, political implications and impact on citizens. As a result, even routine meetings often became rigorous working sessions.
I experienced that standard from the very beginning of my association with him. My first interaction with Modi was brief. Carrying a bouquet, I remarked that I was meeting a Yug Purush, a defining figure of our times. He laughed immediately and brushed aside the compliment, putting me at ease.
The more consequential encounter came in May 2014. I was driving home from the NGO I was then running when the late Arun Jaitley called and asked me to report immediately to Gujarat Bhawan.
True to form, Modi dispensed with formalities and moved straight to the task at hand. He asked me to examine the political structure of the Union government and recommend which ministries could be merged, streamlined or newly created to improve governance, particularly in the energy, skill and infrastructure sectors, core to India’s future.
Working out of a quiet desk in Gujarat Bhawan, I focused on the assignment. Modi was looking for an answer: Will this improve governance? That became the lens through which every recommendation was tested.
I noticed a fleeting look of disappointment at my presentation. He had expected graphics and presentation, not a stack of paper. It was an early indication of how naturally he gravitated towards technology, visualisation and contemporary tools one could touch, feel, and experience. Shortly afterwards, the Prime Minister conveyed to me that he intended to appoint me as his Principal Secretary. When I raised concerns about restrictions arising from my previous role at TRAI, Jaitley Ji dismissed them with characteristic confidence. “Don’t bother the Prime Minister with technicalities”.
The demands of the office became clear almost immediately. Traditionally, the Principal Secretary accompanies the Prime Minister on official foreign visits. I suggested instead that I remain in Delhi, believing I could contribute more by overseeing matters at home while he travelled. His response surprised me. “You have lifted a heavy burden off my chest.” Modi’s work ethic recognises neither geography nor time zones. Wherever he travelled, he remained deeply engaged, often calling to review developments, track pending matters and push decisions forward.
He was also a keen observer. Ideas encountered abroad, whether in urban infrastructure, public spaces or museum design, often found their way into discussions about governance back home.
That same instinct is visible in initiatives such as Yuge Yugeen Bharat. To Modi, a museum is not merely a repository of artefacts. It is a living institution that connects future generations with India’s civilizational journey. Even in matters of culture and heritage, his focus remained on how institutions could educate, engage and endure. Perhaps more than anything else, Modi has little patience for inertia.
If an obstacle exists, whether technological, financial or bureaucratic, his instinct is to look for a solution rather than an explanation. That expectation creates pressure, but it also creates clarity.
What has earned him the trust of many who work with him, however, is something else: his willingness to assume responsibility. During the prolonged opposition against the land acquisition laws, I eventually recommended that the legislation be withdrawn in the larger interest of the agricultural sector. The reforms had arrived ahead of their time and early in his first tenure.
He looked at me with a knowing smile. “Aap ye keh rahe hain? (“You are saying this?”)
Yet he agreed. The ordinance lapsed.
He is equally quick to acknowledge the contributions of others. Several years before the pandemic, I had suggested distributing surplus grain stocks rather than allowing them to deteriorate in storage. The proposal did not move forward because of fiscal constraints. When Covid-19 struck, however, he immediately saw its relevance. Moments before announcing the programme that would eventually support nearly 80 crore beneficiaries, he was convinced that poverty elimination is a strong argument.
Looking back, it is not any single reform, programme or policy decision that best explains Narendra Modi to me. It is a habit of mind. He begins by asking what stands in the way. He refuses to accept “cannot” as an answer. He presses relentlessly until a solution emerges. Over the years, I have seen that instinct applied to governance, technology, national security, foreign policy, welfare, culture and institution-building alike. The question he returned to repeatedly, whether discussing ministries, digital payments or public policy, was always the same: Will this improve governance?
That combination of intellectual rigour, decisiveness, accountability and an unwavering focus on outcomes is what, in my view, distinguishes Narendra Modi. It is also why, when I first met him many years ago and referred to him as a Yug Purush, it did not feel like just praise. Time and experience have only reinforced that impression. As a man who continues to redefine our era, Prime Minister Modi’s mark will remain indelible in the annals of history.
The writer is Chairperson, Prime Ministers Museum and Library, Chairman, Temple Construction Committee, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. He served as Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during (2014-2019)
