‘Modi Hai Toh Mumkin Hai’: 8 in 10 Indians Have Favourable View of PM, Finds Pew Survey

Around eight in 10 Indians (79%) have a favourable view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a report by the Pew Research Center released ahead of the Group of 20 leaders’ (G20) summit in New Delhi between September 8 and 10. Of the 79%, 55% have a very favourable view of Modi, who has been in power since 2014 and will seek a third term in the general elections in 2024.

In comparison, 37% in 12 countries, most of which are middle-income, have confidence in Modi to make the right foreign policy choices. Kenyans are especially confident, with 60% saying they trust Modi to do the right thing regarding world affairs.

The survey found that roughly seven in 10 Indians say India’s influence in the world in recent years has been getting stronger. “Those who support the governing parties in the National Democratic Alliance are much more likely to say India’s influence is on the rise," Pew said on the coalition led by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “Men, too, are more likely than women to believe India is getting stronger on the world stage."

HOW THE WORLD SEES INDIA

People in most nations of the G20 have a favourable view of India, according to the survey, but the number of residents in European countries who view India positively has come down in the past 15 years.

Views of India are most positive in Israel, where 71% say they have a favorable view of the country. India is also seen especially favourably in Kenya, Nigeria and the United Kingdom, where at least six in 10 say they have a favourable view of the country. In contrast, South African, Spain and the Netherlands see India more critically.

INDIANS NEGATIVE TOWARDS PAK, IN FAVOUR OF RUSSIA

Roughly three-quarters of Indian adults hold an unfavourable view of Pakistan. This includes 57% who have a very unfavourable opinion.

While only 14% across 22 countries have a positive view of Russia, a 57% majority of Indians see Russia favourably. The survey found 65% of the Indian respondents see the US more favourably, while four in 10 believe that Russia’s global influence has strengthened.

THE SURVEY

The new survey examines views of India and its political leaders in and outside India, as well as Indians’ views of other countries. The survey includes eight middle-income nations that Pew Research Center has not surveyed since 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19, due to the challenges of conducting face-to-face interviews during the pandemic.

The survey of 30,861 people in 24 countries, including India, was conducted from February 20 to May 22, 2023. Russia, China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, all members of the G20, were not among the 24 nations polled. The survey was carried out with 2,611 Indians between March 25 and May 11, Pew said.