Assessing India’s three longest-serving prime ministers on 5 key parameters

This information pack examines the leadership and legacy of India’s three longest-serving prime ministers, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Narendra Modi across key areas such as nation-building, democracy, national security, economic development and foreign policy. While Nehru laid the foundations of India and Indira Gandhi led the country through some of its most turbulent years, the Modi era has been marked by large-scale infrastructure growth, digital transformation, welfare expansion, defence modernisation and a significant rise in India’s global standing.