narendra modi visit to egypt

Prime Minister also extended an invitation to the (Egypt) President for the G20 Summit which is upcoming in September 2023: Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra

...(Egyptian) President Sisi conferred on PM Modi, the 'Order of the Nile' honour which is the highest civilian award in Egypt. PM remarked that the recognition symbolises two main things --- the deep-rooted friendship between the two countries and the people of the two societies.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra says, "PM Narendra Modi is on a State visit to Egypt at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. This is the PM's first visit to Egypt. He arrived yesterday afternoon and was warmly received by the PM of Egypt at the airport and was also accorded a ceremonial welcome yesterday, including the Guard of Honour at the airport."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes tour of pyramids at Giza.

PM Modi visits Heliopolis War Cemetery in Cairo to pay respects to Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during WW I

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited the Heliopolis Commonwealth War Cemetery here and offered tributes to the Indian soldiers who bravely fought and laid down their lives in Egypt and Palestine during the First World War.Modi offered floral tributes and signed the visitor's book at the Cemetery that comprises the Heliopolis (Port Tewfik) Memorial and the Heliopolis (Aden) Memorial."Prime Minister paid homage to over 4,300 valiant Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Egypt and Aden during the 1st World War," the MEA said in a press release.

You are India's hero, Indian community members in Egypt tell PM Modi

Members of the Indian community in Egypt showered fulsome praise on Narendra Modi, hailing him as "India's hero", as he became the first Indian prime minister to undertake a bilateral visit to the strategically located Middle East nation in 26 years. Modi, who arrived here on Saturday after concluding a high-profile state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden, was given a rousing welcome at the Ritz Carlton hotel, where he interacted with the Indian diaspora in separate groups.

PM Modi visited the historic Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo.

PM Modi meets Egypt's Grand Mufti

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met the Grand Mufti of the country, Shawky Ibrahim Allam.During the meeting which took place on Saturday, the first day of his ongoing state visit to Egypt, the Grand Mufti fondly recalled his recent visit to India and highlighted the strong cultural and people to people relations between India and Egypt.Modi conveyed that India would set up a centre of excellence in IT at the Dar-al-Ifta under the Ministry of Social Justice of Egypt.He also appreciated the Prime Minister’s leadership in fostering inclusivity and pluralism, official sources said.Discussions between the two leaders also focussed on issues related to social and religious harmony in society and countering extremism and radicalisation.

List of international awards received by PM Modi

What is Egypt's 'Order of the Nile' award, conferred on PM Modi?

PM Modi meets Egyptian President El-Sisi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi here and discussed ways to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries with a focus on improving trade and investments, energy ties and people-to-people connect.

'Order of the Nile' award is Egypt's highest state honour

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi confers PM Narendra Modi with 'Order of the Nile' award, in Cairo

PM Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sign an MoU during talks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo.

Why PM Modi visited Al-Hakim Mosque, Heliopolis War Cemetery in Cairo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday visited Egypt's historic 11th century Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo, restored with the help of India's Dawoodi Bohra community.

PM Narendra Modi meets Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in Cairo

Over a thousand years old, al-Hakim is the fourth oldest mosque in Cairo, and the second Fatimid mosque to be built in the city. The mosque covers an area of 13,560 square metres, with the iconic central courtyard occupying 5,000 square metres.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Heliopolis War Cemetery in Cairo, Egypt.

The mosque was recently renovated with help from Dawoodi Bohra community

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo, Egypt

PM Modi will pay tribute today to Indian soldiers, who fought in Egypt and Palestine during the World War I, at Heliopolis War Cemetery, Cairo.

PM Modi discusses energy security, economy with Egyptian CEO, oil strategist

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions on the economy, infrastructure development and energy security with an Egyptian CEO and oil strategist during the visit to the Mediterranean nation. Modi met Hassan Allam, CEO of Hassan Allam Holding Company, and Egyptian author and petroleum strategist Tarek Heggy in Cairo on the first day of his two-day visit to Egypt on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

PM Modi meets thought leaders in Egypt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met prominent personalities in Egypt, including Hassan Allam, CEO of one of the largest Egyptian companies operating in the Middle East and North African region, and Tarek Heggy, a renowned author and petroleum strategist.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold delegation level talks with President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi today

"I was honoured to meet PM Modi today," says Grand Mufti of Egypt Dr Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam after meeting PM Modi in Cairo.

Honoured to have met the Grand Mufti of Egypt, tweets PM Modi

PM Modi held a warm conversation with two young prominent Yoga instructors, Reem Jabak and Nada Adel, in Cairo, tweets Arindam Bagchi

— MEAIndia (@MEAIndia)

I was honoured to meet PM Modi today, this was our second meeting. Between the two meetings, I have seen that there is great development in India. PM Modi reflects the wise leadership for a big country like India. Wise policies are being adopted by PM Modi in bringing co-existence between the various factions in India. At the religious level, we have strong cooperation with India. Indian side is also going to provide an Information Technology Centre of Excellence here. We have lots of scope of cooperation.

Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam

Grand Mufti of Egypt, Dr Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam presents a special gift to PM Modi, in Cairo.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Egypt from Washington on Saturday. Reuters

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Egypt will give a “fresh impetus” to the historic and strategic ties between the two nations, experts say.

Mr Modi will be flying to Cairo on Saturday after a four-day state visit to the US , with plans to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh El Sisi, a select group of high-level ministers and members of the Indian diaspora.

On a more cultural note, he is also expected to visit the refurbished 11th-century Al Hakim Mosque .

Mr Modi’s visit to the North African country will be his first ever, as well as the first official visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Egypt since 1997.

“This is a fresh impetus. Nearly every prime minister from Egypt, the presidents, including the short-lived Morsi, have visited India,” Anil Trigunayat, a former diplomat who served as ambassador to Libya and Jordan, told The National.

“Egypt considers India as a geostrategic partner, but we have to move more into geo-economics", Mr Trigunayat said, adding that Egypt "is the biggest country in Africa in terms of population, and India is the biggest country here.

"We have to continue to engage with the countries in the region for our own good,” he said.

Mr Modi’s visit comes nearly six months after Mr El Sisi visited New Delhi as the chief guest at India’s 74th Republic Day celebrations this January.

India's Ministry of External Affairs has described the historic relationship between the two nations as “friendly” and marked by cultural and economic links and deep-rooted ties between peoples.

The bilateral relationship had strengthened in the first few decades after India’s independence in 1947.

Since forming a government in 2014, Mr Modi has emphasised a non-aligned foreign policy and focused on improving both bilateral and multilateral relations with global powers.

India has also invited Egypt, along with Oman and the UAE, to attend the G20 Summit in September as special guests.

New Delhi last year provided 61,500 tonnes of wheat to Egypt after an abrupt halt in wheat shipments from Ukraine resulting from the Russian invasion. It was India's largest consignment despite putting a ban on wheat exports.

Crucial partners

For India, Egypt is a crucial partner.

It is the largest country in the Arab world, a major economy and one of New Delhi’s major trading partners in the Mena region.

Bilateral trade between New Delhi and Cairo was recorded at $7.26 billion in the last fiscal year, a 60 per cent increase over 2020-21.

There are plans to increase bilateral trade to $12 billion within the next five years by diversifying the trade basket and focusing on value addition.

Egypt is also developing the Suez Canal Economic Zone , a 460-kilometre independent, emerging international commercial hub with six maritime ports strategically located between Africa, Middle East and Europe, as part of its national economic growth and employment engines as its economy is struggling.

China has already taken advantage of the opportunities the project offers, investing over $1 billion.

It sees the canal as a crucial part of its Belt and Road Initiative , an economic corridor that connects Central Asia and Maritime Silk Road projects in Indo-Pacific sea routes through Southeast Asia to South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

“India is gradually becoming a major power as far as the Indian Ocean is concerned, as the Indo-Pacific is there. India’s focus is both on West Asia and Africa, and in that context Egypt, which has a dual hat, is important as an Arab country as well as an African country,” Mr Trigunayat said.

“Egypt has this unique strategic geography of being at the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal, which are very important, and therefore becomes an integral part of both India's Indo-Pacific strategies as well as with Africa.”

New Delhi and Cairo also have robust military co-operation.

In January the Indian and Egyptian armies held a joint exercise in India’s Jaisalmer to bolster defence co-operation and share professional skills in desert terrain, counter-terrorism, reconnaissance and other special operations.

New Delhi has been steadily focusing on increasing its capabilities to design, develop and manufacture advanced technologies and systems in the defence sector under its ambitious Make-In-India initiative.

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• Economy & Business

India's Modi on first visit to Egypt

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo on Sunday on a rare visit during which both sides pledged to deepen their strategic partnership.

They agreed to boost investment by India, the world's most populous nation, in Egypt, which has the Arab world's largest population, of 105 million, and which is now in the grips of an economic downturn.

Modi, in power since 2014, was on his first visit to the north African country and US ally following a four-day trip to the United States where he met President Joe Biden.

Modi and Sisi "signed a joint declaration to elevate relations to a strategic partnership," which they had first announced in January when Sisi visited New Delhi, a spokesman for the Egyptian leader said.

India and Egypt have pledged to boost bilateral trade by billions of dollars as India is also stepping up investment in Egypt, particularly in renewable energy.

Egypt has suffered a drawn-out economic crisis in which the currency has lost half its value in a year.

The government has in recent months moved to diversify foreign investors, which also include Gulf powers and China.

Sisi bestowed Cairo's highest honour, the Order of the Nile, on Modi and the two leaders affirmed their "mutual commitment" to strengthen relations.

This would include "increasing high-level visits", facilitating direct flights between the capitals, and "developing Indian investments in Egypt," according to the presidency in Cairo.

India is already Egypt's seventh-largest trading partner, according to data from Cairo's central bank, with trade reaching $7 billion last year.

The two leaders agreed in January to increase Indian investments in Egypt, which currently stand at over $3.15 billion, including through a potential "dedicated land area for Indian industries in the Suez Canal Economic Zone".

Those projects include a $12 billion green hydrogen plant to be built by Indian firm ACME.

In 2022, as Russia's Ukraine invasion drove up global grain prices, India banned wheat exports to protect its reserves and rein in inflation, but granted an exception to Egypt, the world's biggest wheat importer.

Modi invited Sisi to a G20 summit India is hosting in September.

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Indian prime minister narendra modi to visit egypt, june 24.

Egypt Today staff

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 - 09:04 GMT

CAIRO – 16 June 2023:  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive Egypt on a two-day visit starting June 24.

Modi scheduled to meet Egyptian officials as well as members of the Indian community in Egypt.

The Indian Prime Minister's visit to Egypt comes after his visit to the United States, of which he will meet President Joe Biden. President Biden and First Lady Jill will also host an official dinner in honor of Prime Minister Modi on June 22.

At per an invitation of Congress leaders, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Speaker Charles Schumer, Prime Minister Modi will address the Congress.

On June 23, US Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken will host a lunch in honor of Prime Minister Modi.

Narendra Modi

Indian prime minister.

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Why PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Egypt matters

After the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Cairo from 24 June to 25 June. The trip comes at a time when Egypt has shown interest in joining BRICS and reducing its dependence on the West

The next week is doing to be a busy one for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is heading to the United States on 20 June, where he will be meeting President Joe Biden, holding bilaterals and inking crucial deals. After his first official state visit to the US, the PM will be travelling to Egypt.

Modi will travel to Cairo for a state visit from 24 June to 25 June. “This visit to Egypt will mark Prime Minister Modi’s first official trip to the country,” the Ministry of External Affairs informed on Friday.

The invitation to the visit was extended by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi , who was India’s chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations in January 2023.

We take a look at the agenda of the PM’s visit and how India has revived ties with Egypt in the past nine years under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government.

What to expect from PM Modi’s Egypt visit

In Cairo, the Indian leader is expected to hold bilaterals with President Sisi, interact with senior dignitaries from the Egyptian government, engage with prominent Egyptian personalities, and meet the diaspora.

The announcement of the PM’s visit comes soon after Egypt formally applied for membership of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) . The West Asian nation also has plans to ditch the US dollar while trading with BRICS nations, a move that promises greater economic cooperation.

Egypt’s willingness to reduce dependence on the US dollar aligns with the BRICS’ vision to promote alternate currencies in international trade, including its own currency.

As Cairo looks to establish stronger ties with emerging economies, PM Modi’s visit assumes significance. During the upcoming visit, there will be talks on defence cooperation, education, and Egypt’s application to join the BRICS. The country is expected to make rapid economic growth, it has abundant natural resources and strategic control over the Suez Canal, which will make its addition to the bloc valuable, according to a report in Financial Express .

“Increased trade and investment between Egypt and the BRICS countries can contribute to economic development and foster greater cooperation within the group… Furthermore, Egypt’s application to join BRICS may influence the perceptions of other Middle Eastern and African nations toward the group,” the report says.

PM Modi has worked towards building stronger ties with Egypt, even inviting the country as a special guest at the G20 summit during India’s presidency.

Sisi’s invite to Modi is a reciprocation of New Delhi’s decision to have him as chief guest for Republic Day.

What did Modi and Sisi discuss in New Delhi?

In January, India and Egypt elevated the bilateral partnership to the level of a strategic partnership. Modi and Sisi decided that the two countries “‘will develop a long-term framework of greater cooperation in political, security, economic and scientific fields”.

According to India’s foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra, there are broadly four elements to the partnership: political, defence and security; economic engagement; scientific and academic collaboration; and cultural and people-to-people contacts.

The two countries also agreed that “concerted action is necessary to end cross-border terrorism” and that they would together alert the international community.

The decision to invite Sisi was part of India’s ongoing efforts to boost ties with Cairo. The president has visited India three times now since he took charge in June 2014 – for this year’s Republic Day, for the Third India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi in October 2015 and on a bilateral visit in 2016. He is likely to return in September for the G20 summit.

India wants to become the voice of the “Golbal South”, which includes countries in Asia, Africa and South America and Egypt is an important part of that.

Ahead of Sisi’s January visit, former India ambassador to Egpyt, Navdeep Suri, told DD India that the ties between the two nations have not lived up to their potential in the recent past. But added that India has “picked up the baton” and is trying to give a “fresh momentum” to the relationship with a country, which is “pivotal in its geopolitical location as it straddles Asia and Africa”.

What has changed under PM Modi?

Under PM Modi, the ties between India and Egypt have strengthened. Last year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Cairo.

The two countries are exploring opportunities in new and renewable energy, trade and investment, education, tourism and connectivity and have agreed to promote independent thinking in a polarised world. Egypt is keen on establishing a premium institution like an IIT on its soil.

During Singh’s visit, the focus was to expand bilateral defence agreements. Egypt has shown interest in some of the made-in-India technologies like Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, the Akash missile system, and DRDO’s Smart Anti-Airfield Weapon (SAAW).

Amid wheat shortage caused by the Russia-Ukraine war and restrictions on exports of the grain in India last year, the Modi-led government decided to make an exception for Egypt.

Bilateral trade between India and Egypt has expanded rapidly in 2021-22, amounting to $7.26 billion registering a 75 per cent increase compared to 2020-21, according to media reports.

With inputs from agencies

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PM Modi To Visit 11th Century Al-Hakim Mosque In Egypt

Prime minister modi will meet egypt's president el-sisi and oversee the signing of various memoranda of understanding and agreements on that day..

PM's visit to Egypt comes 6 months of President El-Sisi's visit to India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the 11th Century Al-Hakim mosque, restored with the help of the Dawoodi Bohra community, during his first visit to Egypt this week.

The prime minister will also go to the Heliopolis War Cemetery to pay tributes to the Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for Egypt during World War 1.

Modi's two-day state visit to Egypt from June 24 at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is the first bilateral visit by an Indian prime minister since 1997.

Before meeting El-Sisi, the prime minister will hold deliberations with the India Unit, a group of high-level ministers constituted by the Egyptian president to boost relations with India.

Addressing a press conference here, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said there has been an “intense level of ministerial engagement" between India and Egypt, which is also home to a small Indian community.

Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to interact with the member of the Indian community in the north African nation.

Kwatra noted that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav had travelled to Egypt recently.

"We have had, similarly, at least three to four ministers from the Egyptian government who have visited India," he said, adding that the Chairperson of the Suez Canal Authority was on a visit to India.

Kwatra said the high-level exchanges clearly showed the extent of very sharp focus that both India and Egypt were placing on strengthening all aspects of their relationship.

Prime Minister Modi will meet President El-Sisi and oversee the signing of various Memoranda of Understanding and agreements on that day.

Kwatra noted that the Grand Mufti of Egypt Shawki Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam was on a visit to India last month.

The foreign secretary noted that India has invited Egypt as a special guest during its G20 presidency.

Kwatra said PM Modi's "very quick reciprocal visit" to Egypt was taking place within six months of President El-Sisi's visit to India.

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"We are confident that the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Egypt will not just ensure continuing momentum to the relationship between our two countries, but will also help it expand to new areas of trade and economic engagement between our two countries," Kwatra said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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‘Heinous, cowardly’: World reacts to attack on Moscow concert hall

Putin declares national day of mourning on Sunday after at least 133 people killed in assault claimed by ISIL affiliate.

At least 133 people have been killed and more than 100 injured after gunmen opened fire on concertgoers near Moscow and set fire to the venue in one of the deadliest attacks in Russia in decades.

An affiliate of the ISIL (ISIS) armed group, Islamic State Khorasan Province ( ISKP ), which has been active in Afghanistan and Iran, claimed responsibility for the assault.

Keep reading

Moscow concert hall attack: russia detains 11 as death toll rises to 133, moscow concert hall attack: what do we know so far, moscow concert hall attack: why is isil targeting russia, moscow massacre blame game: from security failure to ukraine to dark past.

In a televised address to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the attack a “barbaric terrorist act” as he declared a national day of mourning on Sunday.

Here are some of the global reactions:

United Nations

The UN Security Council condemned “in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attack” at Crocus City Hall in Moscow’s northern suburb of Krasnogorsk.

“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is on a visit to Egypt’s border with the Gaza Strip, “firmly” condemned the attack on the concert hall.

“We consider absolutely intolerable the attack that took place in Moscow and we encourage all countries to cooperate with each other in order to make sure that ISIS [ISIL] will not have the capacity to strike anywhere else in the world,” he told reporters.

The UN secretary-general called ISIL “a terrorist organisation that is operating in several parts of the world and is a very serious threat to us all”.

“[It] needs to be fought with determination, with a lot of international cooperation,” he said.

NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said the military alliance “unequivocally” condemns the attack.

“Nothing can justify such heinous crimes. Our deepest condolences to the victims and their families,” she said on X.

We unequivocally condemn the attacks targeting concertgoers in Moscow. Nothing can justify such heinous crimes. Our deepest condolences to the victims and their families. — Farah Dakhlallah (@NATOpress) March 23, 2024

President Xi Jinping sent his “condolences” to Putin, China’s state news agency Xinhua reported.

Xi “stressed that China opposes all forms of terrorism, strongly condemns the terrorist attack and firmly supports the Russian government’s efforts to safeguard its national security and stability”.

“We strongly condemn this heinous terrorist attack targeting innocent civilians,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a public rally in the capital Ankara.

“Terrorism is unacceptable no matter who it comes from or who the perpetrator is.”

Erdogan said Turkey shared Russia’s pain, adding, “We’ll continue to fight against terror, the common enemy of humanity.”

United States

White House spokesperson John Kirby said, “The images are just horrible and just hard to watch, and our thoughts obviously are going to be with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting attack.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken denounced the deadly attack and said Washington condemns “terrorism in all its forms”.

“We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and all affected by this heinous crime. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and stand in solidarity with the people of Russia in grieving the loss of life from this horrific event,” Blinken said in a statement.

“The United States strongly condemns the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a separate statement, adding that “ISIS [ISIL] is a common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere.”

European Union

The European Union said it was “shocked and appalled” by the attack.

“The EU condemns any attacks against civilians. Our thoughts are with all those Russian citizens affected,” said an EU spokesperson.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned the attack.

I strongly condemn the terrorist attack against civilians in the Crocus City Hall in Moscow claimed by the Islamic State. My thoughts are with the victims and their families during this tragic time. — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) March 23, 2024

United Kingdom

Foreign Minister David Cameron said the UK condemned “in the strongest terms the deadly terrorist attack”.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences and express our deepest sympathy to the families of the many victims.”

The UK condemns in the strongest terms the deadly terrorist attack at the Crocus City Hall near Moscow. We offer our heartfelt condolences and express our deepest sympathy to the families of the many victims. Nothing can ever justify such horrific violence. — David Cameron (@David_Cameron) March 23, 2024

“We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief.”

We strongly condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Moscow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. India stands in solidarity with the government and the people of the Russian Federation in this hour of grief. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2024

President Emmanuel Macron said he “strongly condemns the terrorist attack claimed by the Islamic State [ISIL]”, in a statement released by the Elysee Palace.

“France expresses its solidarity with the victims, their loved ones and all the Russian people,” it said.

The foreign ministry said, “The images coming out of Moscow are terrible,” and added that “light must be shed on these odious acts”.

“The images of the horrific attack on innocent people at Crocus City Hall near Moscow are horrific,” Germany’s foreign ministry said. “The background must be clarified quickly. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims.”

“We condemn the terrible terrorist attack on innocent concertgoers in Moscow. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and all those injured,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote on X.

Afghanistan

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the Taliban administration condemned the attack in the “strongest terms”. Kabul considers it “a blatant violation of all human standards”.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel said, “Cuba condemns the atrocious terrorist act that occurred in Moscow. Our sincerest condolences to the government and people of Russia.”

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned what she said was an “odious act of terrorism”.

“The horror of the massacre of innocent civilians in Moscow is unacceptable,” Meloni said, expressing her “full solidarity with the affected people and the victims’ families”.

Japan’s foreign ministry said it “strongly” condemned the attack. “Japan extends its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and expresses its heartfelt sympathy to those who were injured.”

“We express our strongest condemnation of the armed attack that has been carried out against civilians today in Moscow in the exhibition centre Crocus City Hall,” Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said.

“We send out condolences to the families of the victims and we stand in solidarity with the Russian government.”

“Saddened by tonight’s tragic events in Moscow. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and to all those affected,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz posted on X.

Palestinian Authority

The presidency of the Palestinian Authority condemned the attack and “affirmed its solidarity and support for the Russian leadership and the friendly people of Russia, emphasising its keenness on stability in the friendly Russian Federation,” according to the official Wafa news agency.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “reaffirms its stance in rejecting terrorism and violent extremism in all forms and manifestations.

“Malaysia continues to underscore the urgent need for a concerted international effort to eliminate the scourge of terrorism in a comprehensive and effective manner,” it said in a statement.

Spain said it was “shocked” by the attack, saying it “condemns any form of violence”.

“Our solidarity with the victims, their families and the Russian people,” the Spanish foreign ministry wrote on X.

The foreign ministry condemned “in the strongest terms, the cowardly terrorist attack … which comes after the great achievements gained by the friendly Russian people”, adding that “Syria stresses the need for intensifying global efforts in facing such massacres and bring their perpetrators to justice.”

The foreign ministry condemned the “appalling terror attack”.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” it said on X.

The foreign ministry said on X that it condemns “any attacks against civilians”.

Condemning the “terrible attack”, the foreign ministry sent its condolences “to the victims and their loved ones”.

Denmark condemns the terrible attack in #Moscow and sends its condolences to the victims and their loved ones. — Denmark MFA 🇩🇰 (@DanishMFA) March 23, 2024

Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland was “constantly monitoring the situation.

“I am in contact with the general staff of the Polish Army, all services and our allies. We are analysing this situation in terms of its possible impact on Poland’s security.”

United Arab Emirates

“The UAE expresses its strong denunciation of these criminal acts, and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence and terrorism that aim to destabilise security and stability and are inconsistent with international law,” the foreign ministry said.

Saudi Arabia

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent condolences to Putin, the foreign ministry said.

“The crown prince strongly condemned this criminal act, and expressed deepest condolences and sincere sympathy to the president, the families of the victims, and the people of the Russian Federation, wishing the injured speedy recovery.”

“Egypt strongly condemns the shooting incident,” the foreign ministry said.

“The government and the people of Egypt express their sincere condolences and sympathies to the government and people of Russia in this painful tragedy and to the families of the victims, wishing them a speedy recovery to all the injured.”

The Greek Foreign Ministry wrote on X that it was “shocked by the terrible images coming from Moscow” and sent its “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the victims.

The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also said that the goverment and all Greeks condemn the “brutal terrorist attack” against innocent Russian citizens.

Shocked by the terrible images coming from Moscow following the horrific attack at Crocus City Hall. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims to whom we extend our heartfelt condolences. — Υπουργείο Εξωτερικών (@GreeceMFA) March 22, 2024

South Africa

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa wrote on X: “We are deeply saddened and we pay our condolences to the people of Russia following the tragic terror attack that killed so many people. I will be talking to President Putin to convey our condolences”.

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Darjeeling tea to terracotta murti: pm modi's 'vocal for local' gifts to bill gates.

New Delhi [India], March 29 (ANI): Following an extensive discussion on topics ranging from Artificial Intelligence (AI), UPI payments, technology, to COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Microsoft co-founder and CEO Bill Gates with a 'Vocal for Local' gifts during their meeting on Friday.

The meeting between the two took place at the PM's residence here on Friday.

PM Modi gifted him a 'Vocal for Local' gift hamper that contained pearls and terracotta statues- a miniature work of art representing India's vibrant culture from Tamil Nadu, Pashmina shawl and saffron from Kashmir, as well as Darjeeling tea and Nilgiri tea.

"In Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu they cultivate pearls. It is also known as the Pearl City. The local fishermen have done remarkable work in this field. During my visit, I decided I would show this to you and bring some for you,' PM Modi said while gifting pearls.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi further gifted terracotta statues- a miniature work of art representing India's vibrant culture from Tamil Nadu to Gates and said that "terracotta is an ancient Indian tradition holds a special place in Tamil Nadu. It is widely celebrated gracing both temples and homes."Meanwhile, Pashmina artistry thrives in Kashmir alongside the cultivation of saffron both contributing to the region's global exports.

"Currently, I am championing the 'Vocal for Local' movement along with the 'One District, One Product' initiative to promote local specialties. When I travel abroad and present these district-specific items, the local people feel a sense of pride," the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi presented Bill Gates with the 'Vocal for Local' gifts in exchange for nutrition books gifted by Microsoft's CEO.

In a freewheeling conversation with Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted important measures that should be taken while using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the contemporary technological world, and said that the world should establish some do's and don'ts for using this technology.

ANI 30th March 2024, 02:27 GMT+11

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Ukraine and India, a historical ally of Russia, hold talks to strengthen ties

The Associated Press

March 29, 2024, 7:25 AM

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NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s foreign minister held talks Friday with his Ukrainian counterpart, who was visiting to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation with New Delhi, which considers Russia a historic ally from the Cold War-era.

Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a post on the social media platform X that he and Dmytro Kuleba discussed “the ongoing conflict and its wider ramifications,” and said the two would work together to boost relations between their countries.

“India and Ukraine have been traditional friends, but I think there is much more that we can do and should do, not only in the interests of our nations, but also in the interest of global development and security architecture,” Kuleba said Friday. “We will be looking forward to restoring what had existed before the large scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine began.”

Kuleba told Indian media Thursday that he wanted to discuss Ukraine’s peace formula while in New Delhi, and encourage India to play a bigger role in helping end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“India can play a very important role in bringing together more nations from the Global South ,” Kuleba said in an interview with New Delhi Television. He said India could be particularly helpful due to its close relationship with Russia. “It means India can influence the way Russia behaves,” he said, but also remarked that New Delhi’s relationship with Moscow is based on the past, while the one with Ukraine “has more of a future.”

Kuleba’s visit comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladmir Putin , whom India has so far avoided criticizing over the war in Ukraine. Instead, New Delhi has stressed the need for diplomacy and dialogue on ending the war and has expressed its willingness to contribute to peace efforts.

“Your visit gives us an opportunity, obviously, to understand the situation in your own region, and I look forward to hearing your perspectives on that,” Jaishankar said Friday before the two foreign ministers began their talks.

On March 20, Modi said he had expressed to Zelenskyy India’s support for an early end to the conflict, while the Ukrainian president said he encouraged India to participate in the Peace Summit that Switzerland has offered to organize. Modi also spoke to Putin on the same day to congratulate him on his reelection as president , and agreed to further boost ties between the two countries.

Under Modi, India has promoted itself as a rising global player that can mediate between the West and Russia on the war in Ukraine.

At the United Nations, New Delhi has refrained from voting against Moscow, and has ramped up its purchases of Russian oil at discounted prices following the February 2022 invasion. Russia is also India’s biggest arms supplier.

New Delhi has been trying to reduce its dependance on Moscow for arms and technology because of disruptions in supplies due to the war, and has stepped up its engagements with Western powers like the United States and the European Union. India is also part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad , along with the United States, Australia and Japan.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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Modi’s visit to Egypt: A look back at the relationship between Delhi and Cairo, and where it stands today

The scheduled interaction between pm modi and egypt president el-sisi highlights the growing cooperation between the two countries, especially in recent years. while delhi seeks to consolidate its position in the arab world with cairo’s help, the latter wants india to expand its trade and investments in the country to help deal with its ongoing economic crisis. .

After wrapping up his first State visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi  landed in Egypt to kickstart his two-day visit on Saturday evening (June 24). Arriving for the first time in Cairo since he assumed the top job, Modi will be the first Indian PM to embark upon an official bilateral visit to the country since 1997.

During his stay, Modi is slated to interact with the Indian community in Egypt, meet prominent personalities, visit the 11-century Al-Hakim Mosque and hold bilateral talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who visited India earlier this year as the chief guest for Republic Day celebrations .

As the two leaders meet for the second time within six months, their scheduled interaction highlights the growing cooperation between the two countries, especially in recent years. While Delhi seeks to consolidate its position in the Arab world with Cairo’s help, the latter wants India to expand its trade and investments in the country to help deal with its ongoing economic crisis.

How has the relationship between India and Egypt evolved over the years?

Delhi established a bilateral relationship with Cairo just three days after it got Independence on August 15, 1947. Their partnership, however, began to blossom when India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Egypt’s second President Gamal Abdel Nasser became close. The friendship was first tested during the 1956 Suez Canal crisis when Nasser nationalised the canal leading Israel, and later France and Britain, to attack Egypt.

Nehru lost no time in condemning the aggression against Cairo and, as per academic Swapna Kona Nayudu’s article, Nehru’s India & the Suez Canal Crisis of 1956 , published by the University of Pennsylvania, “took a number of measures to mediate” between the opposing parties, including asking the US to intervene in the matter,

She wrote: “The US–sponsored Uniting for Peace resolution, passed on November 2, 1956, pushed fighting forces behind armistice lines, and opened the way for what came to be known as the Eisenhower-Nehru formula.” India went on to emphasise the urgent need to decolonise Asia and Africa in the United Nations, “contributing substantially to the closing of the crisis,” Nayudu added.

In the following years, the bond between Nehru and Nasser further solidified. The two charismatic leaders, ardent supporters of the liberal and decolonisation movements, played a pivotal role in founding the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) along with Yugoslavia’s President Josip Broz Tito, Indonesia’s President Sukarno and Ghana’s President Kwame Nkrumah. It was because of this special relationship that India also stood firmly next to Egypt and the Arab world when they came to blows with Israel over Palestine — Delhi didn’t establish full diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv until 1992.

Notably, Delhi and Cairo didn’t just focus on political strategies. The two nations seek to strengthen their defence and economic ties too. For instance, as per the Ministry of External Affairs, “there was close cooperation between the two nations’ Air Forces, with efforts at jointly developing a fighter aircraft in the 1960s.”

But what once used to be a cornerstone of its foreign policy, India put its partnership with Egypt on the back burner in later years, particularly during the 1970s. In a column for The Indian Express , C Raja Mohan, a senior fellow at the Asian Policy Institute in Delhi, wrote: “The Indian foreign policy discourse, with its deepening anti-Western rhetoric and empathy for radical Arab States in the 1970s, was not empathetic to the concerns and interests of Egypt as it made brave moves to rethink its regional policies.”

Those years saw India completely ignoring not just Egypt but also the whole West Asia region. By the end of the Cold War, the area had completely dropped off Delhi’s agenda — India had only maintained relations on “a mercantilist basis” with oil-producing nations and those countries where Indian labourers migrated for work, Raja Mohan told Centre for Strategic and International Studies in an interview.

Why have India and Egypt rekindled their ties with each other? 

The Modi years, however, have witnessed a turnaround in the situation. Since 2014, India has sought to engage with West Asian countries. The reasons, as Raja Mohan explained in the interview, for doing so are quite clear: Delhi wants to draw huge amounts of capital from Gulf nations, curtail religious extremism by supporting moderate countries in the region while encouraging social reforms, and participate in the security politics of the area.

And in order to do all this, India has realised that Egypt is a key player. The country has remained fairly moderate over the years, shares strong ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia (both nations have made heavy investments in Egypt), and is located at a crucial geo-strategic location — 12 per cent of global trade passes through the Suez Canal. Therefore, the bilateral relations between Delhi and Cairo have once again taken centre stage.

Meanwhile, Cairo wants India’s help to tackle its battered economy. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the implications of the Russia and Ukraine war has worsened its financial woes. Inflation in the country is at a five-year high of over 30 per cent and it has approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the fourth time in six years for a bailout.

According to a report by The Indian Express , Egypt has “sought investments in infrastructure — Metro projects in Cairo and Alexandria, a Suez Canal economic zone, a second channel of the Suez Canal, and a new administrative capital in a Cairo suburb. More than 50 Indian companies have invested more than $3.15 billion in Egypt” from Delhi.

When el-Sisi arrived in India earlier this year, the two countries announced that they had decided to elevate their bilateral relationship to a “strategic partnership”. The strategic partnership is supposed to comprise four key elements, including scientific and academic collaboration; cultural and people-to-people contacts. As Modi lands in Cairo on Saturday, it’s expected the two leaders will work further towards deepening the ties between the two countries.

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PM Modi says two-day State visit to Egypt a ‘historic one’

Pm modi and egyptian president abdel fattah el-sisi signed agreement to elevate india-egypt bilateral ties to “strategic partnership"..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday concluded his two-day State visit to Egypt, headlined by him being conferred with the African country's highest state honour, visit to a 1,000-year-old mosque and tribute to World War 1 braves. “My visit to Egypt was a historic one. It will add renewed vigour to India-Egypt relations and will benefit the people of our nations. I thank President @AlsisiOfficial, the Government and the people of Egypt for their affection”, the prime minister tweeted a video of the highlights of his visit after departing from Cairo. In the last leg of his visit, Modi visited the Great Pyramids of Giza along with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly. The prime minister tweeted, "I thank PM Mostafa Madbouly for accompanying me to the Pyramids. We had a rich discussion on the cultural histories of our nations and how to deepen these linkages in the times to come".

Modi met Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi who conferred him with Egypt's highest state honour ‘Order of the Nile’. He joined the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and Nelson Mandela as being the foreign leaders to have been felicitated with the award. ALSO READ: PM Modi conferred with 13 internationl awards since 2014. Check full list of honours "With great humility I accept the "Nile Necklace". I thank the Government and people of Egypt for this honor, which demonstrates the warmth and affection they have towards India and the people of our nation", Modi tweeted. Both the leaders held bilateral talks which centered around trade and investment, defence and security.

"Imparting new momentum to 🇮🇳-🇪🇬 relations! PM @narendramodi and President @AlsisiOfficial held fruitful talks in Cairo. They deliberated on ways to deepen the multi-faceted partnership between both the nations. The leaders also signed agreement to elevate India-Egypt bilateral ties to “Strategic Partnership”, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted. Modi had arrived in Cairo on Saturday after concluding his three-day State visit to the United States.

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Narendra Modi is asking India to extend his term as one of the most powerful people in the world. This is his secret past

Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world, but much of his life is shrouded in mystery. These hidden chapters tell the true story. 

The Modi family gathered on the lawn of the fanciest hotel in their hometown in the Indian state of Gujarat for their nephew's engagement.

It was October 2023. The trees were lit up with multi-coloured lights, buffet tables were spread out across the garden while men in kurtas and women in saris chatted and ate.

But there was a key person missing from this family event: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Being the leader of the world's most populous country is a busy job, but Indian weddings are a major family affair — even the most elite members of society usually make time to attend a relative's nuptials. So, Modi's absence was remarkable.

It wasn't that Modi avoids weddings altogether. A few years earlier, he attended the wedding of Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra and musician Nick Jonas.

"Wishing you a happy married life," he wrote in the caption of a snap with the couple shared with millions of Instagram followers.

Typically, the weddings of India's elite are lavish on a level unheard of in the West.

Beyonce and Rihanna performed at the pre-wedding celebrations for the children of Mukesh Ambani — India's richest man and a personal friend of Modi's.

But as his own family was celebrating his nephew's engagement at an understated party with a modest guest list, Modi was prepping for a major media moment: his appearance at the Cricket World Cup final in a stadium named after him.

With hundreds of millions of Indians watching, many analysts believed Modi was banking on an Indian win to catapult his election campaign. This may partially explain his absence from the significant family event.

Since Modi unexpectedly left home as a teenager, he's had a patchy relationship with everyone in his family except his mother, who died in 2022.

Despite his relative family estrangement, Modi constantly talks about his humble beginnings.

He has a tight leash on his image, and is cautious not to derail every carefully crafted story that's brought him to the top.

"There's this almost mystical aspect to Modi and the folklore can extend to his childhood," Indian journalist Manisha Pande says.

Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world, but besides what he chooses to share about his background, the public knows little about him.

Under his leadership, India has undergone massive change.

Modi has made his country a powerful geopolitical player lauded by the West, and brought India closer to Australia than ever before.

He's instilled a sense of empowerment in ordinary Indians, giving tens of millions of people homes and toilets — welfare policies that have boosted his approval rating to become one of the most popular leaders in the world.

His nationalist stance has led to policies which favour India's Hindu majority, while democratic pillars such as press freedom and free speech have been threatened, undermined and eroded.

He's become so popular, it's likely he'll win a national election this year, giving him a rare third term and a total of 15 years in power at its conclusion.

There are many myths and legends about Modi's life that have built his appeal. He says he worked for his dad as a chai seller and walked across the country trying to become a monk.

And there are parts of his life he's tried to keep a secret, like the arranged marriage he abandoned as a teenager.

The stories Modi has told about his life have led to his extraordinary rise in the world, but deciphering what's fact from fiction is essential to understanding where he's taking India.

The chai wallah's son

Everyone in the town of Vadnagar seems to have the same last name: Modi.

Most are not related to the prime minister even though they live in his hometown. But Syamaldas Madhavas Modi sees India's leader as a brother.

When Syamaldas's mother died when he was young, he moved in with Narendra Modi, his parents and five siblings.

"We used to fly kites and play games in the village. Narendra Modi was very smart," he says fondly.

"We did not have any facilities at home. We used to go outside to go to the toilet … It was hard to get water, so we'd go to the lake to take a bath."

Modi's childhood home is nestled along a narrow concrete lane, where the houses painted in pastel colours are built in a tight terrace formation.

The single-storey, long, narrow house has a large wooden door and is on the edge of Vadnagar, a quaint town built around a lake.

Modi's father, Damordas, was what's known as a chai wallah, or a tea seller, at the local train station.

Chai is a part of the daily hustle for many Indians, and the country has the largest train network in the world.

The Vadnagar station hasn't changed much. Families walk past the pink pillars at its entrance and gather on the station's wide platforms to set off for their big journeys.

Modi consistently references working with his dad at the railway stall.

"I was born in a very poor family. I used to sell tea in a railway coach as a child. My mother used to wash utensils and do lowly household work in the houses of others to earn a livelihood," he said in a 2015 interview with Time Magazine.

"I have seen poverty very closely. I have lived in poverty. As a child, my entire childhood was steeped in poverty."

To understand why Modi's story of being a chai wallah's son has resonated with India's 1.4 billion voters, it's important to understand the country's political history.

Since independence, India had been largely ruled by one family — the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and his descendants. He and his daughter Indira Gandhi, who went on to follow in his footsteps, were rich, English-speaking, university graduates.

Narendra Modi stands apart, connecting on a more relatable level with the everyday Indian, according to Modi biographer and veteran political observer Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.

"The fact that he came from a very poor family, all that has been actually dwelled upon at great length. It's also been publicised greatly by Mr Modi because it conveys the sense that he was an outsider, not part of the Indian elite," he says.

"But his father had enough money to ensure that Mr Modi and his brothers went to school. Going to school [meant] he was not working anywhere else."

Mukhopadhyay says that these stories and images of Modi carrying tea to train passengers have been "grossly exaggerated, primarily because it was a nice idea to sell" to the Indian public.

Some locals in Vadnagar dispute how often Modi worked for his father growing up.

In a video that went viral in 2021, Modi's brother Prahlad said Narendra Modi had been hyping up his upbringing as a lone tea seller.

"Narendra did not sell tea alone — we are five brothers and we all sold the tea. So, Narendra should be called a son of a tea vendor, not a tea vendor. This is the mistake of journalists," he said.

While the chai wallah story is questioned, everyone seems to agree on Modi's willpower, ambition, and even stubbornness — all qualities that pushed him to the top.

Syamaldas remembers how Modi would stand up and "dominate" their teachers in front of the class.

"He has always been the same kind of person. If he wants to do something, then he'll definitely do it. He wouldn't be influenced by anyone once he's made up his mind," he says.

"Even today, he can't be influenced."

The child politician

One day after school in the 1960s, Modi and his friend Chandubhai Chimanlal Rami were playing a game called vetra charm, fighting with sticks.

"I remember that game with Modi even today … the game could rip your skin, even make your hands bleed," Chandubhai says.

They were playing at their local branch of a Hindu right-wing organisation known as the RSS, whose volunteers recruited Modi when he was eight years old.

Chandubhai recalls a moment in the game when he made a mistake and it hurt Modi.

"So, he also started making attacks in the incorrect way and it was hurting me too," he says.

Chandubhai saw it as a painful but necessary lesson.

"He did it so I realised I was making a mistake. It also helped me better prepare and boosted my willpower, encouraged me a lot."

With an estimated 6 million members across 68,000 branches known as shakhas, the RSS is believed to be the largest far-right organisation in the world.

Like many ideological organisations, the RSS recruits children to expand its supporter base, says Christophe Jaffrelot, a prominent academic from French university Sciences Po, who is studying the Hindu right.

"You can build or reshape their psyche," he says.

"In the branches of the RSS, young boys are attracted by games … they don't realise and the families don't realise — in the beginning at least — that the content of the ideology is infused via these games and via the atmosphere in the shakha. It's a good way to become a mass movement, without saying it."

After months of requests, the ABC gained rare access to an RSS branch that runs similarly to how Modi experienced one as a child decades ago.

In the harsh winter, as the sun rises, around a dozen young men hoist a saffron flag, the colour associated with the Hindu religion.

For many RSS volunteers, the focus on Hinduism is a drawcard.

"I joined the RSS because I have an interest in Hinduism ideology," one RSS member, Ambika, says. "So that keeps me satisfied that I'm doing something for my society and for the nation."

At this shakha, members practise group exercises, many of which involve martial arts. They chant Hindu nationalist slogans that encourage patriotism such as "long live Mother India" and "worship your motherland".

Despite the fervent exercises, there's a jovial atmosphere.

"We are Hindu, we are part of this land, we are living here for thousands of years, so, the knowledge [and] tradition which our ancestors developed, it all belongs to us," senior RSS member Rajneesh says.

When asked about people of other religions he says: "We welcome all religions that came to India."

Rajneesh disputes the suggestion the RSS uses games as a way to indoctrinate its young followers, saying the exercises encourage discipline and unity.

"If you have to work for society, you have to be physically fit. If you're physically ill, how can you work for society?" he says.

The focus on physical strength has led many researchers to argue the RSS is a paramilitary organisation, something its members deny.

But in 2018, RSS chief Mohan Bhawat said the organisation could prepare an army to fight for India "within three days".

The RSS has been central to Modi's political rise. He describes it as a "socio-cultural organisation working towards the social and cultural regeneration of India".

It's a description that skirts around the clear and direct goals of the RSS put in place by its founders almost 100 years ago: to make India an emphatically Hindu society.

India is secular in its constitution and, while the vast majority of the country is Hindu, more than 200 million people are Muslim and tens of millions follow other faiths including Sikhism and Christianity.

While the members at the meeting were careful in their language, the RSS founders have been more direct.

"The non-Hindu people of [India] must adopt Hindu culture and languages and respect. They must entertain no idea but those of glorification of the Hindu race and culture," RSS founder M S Golwalkar said.

Hindu right researcher Mr Jaffrelot says that "in terms of ideology, there are affinities between the RSS and the Nazi Germany brand of nationalism, the Mussolinian brand of fascism".

RSS members have been known to resort to violence in the name of their ideology.

One of its members assassinated Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi in 1948. Decades later, a government-appointed commission found the RSS was responsible for creating a climate conducive to a riot in Jamshedpur that killed 79 Muslims and 25 Hindus. As recently as 2018, RSS members were involved in violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims in Bihar. 

But the RSS consistently rejects that it sparks religious riots and directs attention to the organisation's efforts to coordinate relief after several natural disasters.

The organisation was praised for delivering oxygen cylinders and medicine to thousands of Indians in hospitals during the country’s debilitating COVID-19 crisis, while helping families cremate their loved ones.

Through the 1970s and 80s, Modi rose through the RSS ranks, becoming one of its key organisers.

As prime minister, Modi hasn't actively condoned or condemned violence attributed to RSS members, but his government has enacted laws that critics say have persecuted religious minorities.

Those include revoking the autonomy of India's only majority-Muslim area, Kashmir; passing a law that only permits non-Muslim migrants from nearby countries to be granted citizenship; and opening a Hindu temple where an ancient mosque was torn down , saying it was the birthplace of an important god.

"Modi's politics is based on the RSS agenda, the ideology is the same," Mr Jaffrelot says.

"Muslims have been pushed as second-class citizens by the Modi government with the help of vigilante groups. That's something that the RSS wouldn't have achieved without a leader like him."

While Modi has faced criticism for some of these policies, he's still enormously popular, and research shows he consistently appeals to voters.

The prime minister has defended his government's record, arguing it has brought normalcy to restive Kashmir, for example. 

"If there is a smell of discrimination in anything I have done, then put me in front of the country," Modi said in 2019, while defending the citizenship law.

The RSS maintains it is solely a cultural organisation and doesn't back politicians.

But like Modi, senior RSS members often transition to the prime minister's political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

In 1951, RSS members created a political arm which eventually merged with other parties to create the BJP.

"RSS is not a political organisation, we believe only in making men. But Narendra Modi is doing a good job," Rajneesh says at the shakha.

"As a citizen, I think those who wish that India should lead, they should support Narendra Modi. So as a citizen, it's my right to vote so I will vote for him."

The secret wife

In the late 1960s, everyone in Narendra Modi's friendship group was being married off by their families.

"So his family got him married, worried that later it would be hard to find a bride," Syamaldas, the man who grew up with the Modi family, says.

Modi, about 18 at the time, sat with his bride Jashodaben and their families in the house for a traditional, religious wedding ceremony.

India's caste system is a complex hierarchy of different groups stemming from their social and economic past.

Jashodaben and Narendra Modi's families came from the same caste, the Gujarati Ghanchis, traditionally vegetable oil producers described as lower-middle class.

As per the Ghanchi caste's traditions, the couple had gone through a ceremony called Shaadi when they were about 12 years old, which meant they were engaged, to be married when they came of age.

But they were initially promised to each other by their parents when they were toddlers, something Modi wasn't told about until later.

While marriage is becoming less conservative in India, at that time most people in Gujarat strictly married within the same caste.

After the marriage, the woman was usually sent to the husband's family home.

In recent years, surveys of Indian households have found the majority of Indians are in arranged marriages, most of them happy.

But Narendra Modi had different feelings about the institution in the 1960s.

"He was completely opposed to marriage," Syamaldas says.

So before the couple could move in together, Modi decided to leave home.

"The family was in a state of mourning, but his mother stood behind him and wanted him to progress. The rest of his family felt really bad," Syamaldas says.

"During that time, he told his wife that this is her house as well and … she is free to live in the house and then he left home."

Until the early 2000s, few people knew about Modi's wife.

As Modi rose through the RSS ranks, he proved his dedication to the association and its cause by showing he had no family ties.

When he started running for elections, first in his home state of Gujarat, he would leave the spouse section blank on forms year after year.

In campaign speeches, he would say he was single.

"Why would I indulge in corruption? For whom? There is no one behind me or in front of me," he said at a 2014 political rally, using a Hindi phrase meaning he has no family.

While Modi has staked his reputation on putting the public before a family, he takes every opportunity to portray his connection with children.

For some Indian leaders, being single is a selling point. It means they can show their only commitment is to their country.

Mahatma Gandhi took a vow of celibacy, and the current leader of the main opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is also proudly single.

"I'm dedicated to the people of this nation … every moment of my time is for the people of India," Modi said in a speech last year.

It's a popular trope in a society that emphasises devotion, service and duty.

Eventually, journalists started searching for a schoolteacher they heard was secretly married to Modi.

When one reporter eventually found her, she was shocked by how humble Jashodaben's life was.

"With her hair tied up in a bun, you could pass her by because she's just like any other woman in any village," says the journalist, who does not want to be named.

"Her house had a tin roof and mud walls, and it was a house that would get very hot in the summers, and she did not have a bathroom."

When news reports about Modi's arranged marriage emerged, he directed focus away from them.

But during his run for prime minister in 2014, he was legally forced to go public about his marriage for the first time in almost 50 years.

In the spouse section of his election nomination, he had to write his wife's name: Jashodaben Modi.

"So it was kind of a victory for us and for her that her name had to be written in that column," the journalist says.

It turned into a national scandal. Narendra Modi's brother Sombhai (whose son's engagement the prime minister would go on to miss a decade later) defended him.

He said the marriage was a formality and the couple never consummated it, something Jashodaben Modi also confirmed.

"Narendra's whole life is a life of sacrifice, and we have to accept it. The whole country knows his sacrifice, and the people of the nation know it," he said.

"This event of 40 or 50 years back of a poor family in those circumstances should be seen in that context."

Despite some backlash from opposition parties over his secret marriage and estranged wife, Modi won the 2014 election in a landslide.

Soon after, Jashodaben Modi told Reuters she was surrounded by armed bodyguards every day and she had to cook for them. She has not spoken publicly since.

Now 72, Jashodaben Modi has retired from her job as a schoolteacher.

The Gujarat village where she grew up is made up of a few small streets clustered around a brown, stone, Hindu temple in the middle.

Usually, in small Indian villages, locals are open to giving directions to someone's house, but here they're reluctant.

Some say she's moved to the nearby town. Several people refuse to offer any information on her whereabouts, but one woman finally acknowledges having met her: "She was a nice woman and was helping out at the local hospital."

Jashodaben now lives with her brother. After eventually tracking down his phone number, we give him a call.

He answers but wants to know what we would ask his sister in an interview. She seems to be in the background, listening in on our conversation, but tells him she doesn't want to meet or speak with any journalists.

After her identity was confirmed by Modi, Jashodaben tried to start speaking at public events. She even told a journalist that if the prime minister called to check in, she'd be interested in starting a new life with him.

When it was announced that she would be speaking at an event run by a Modi fan club, the conference was shut down.

When she tried to get a passport, her application was rejected because she couldn't produce a marriage certificate.

"Modi has chosen to cut off that part of his life from public consumption, from public view and he has never, ever acknowledged her other than in that election affidavit," the anonymous journalist says.

"I feel that there's an abandoned woman, and she needs her justice."

Modi's monkhood

In his public life, with no family ties and a sole commitment to his country, Modi has presented himself as God's representative on Earth.

"God has made me an instrument to represent all the people of India. This is a huge responsibility," he said on X, formerly known as Twitter, ahead of a Hindu temple opening in the town of Ayodhya in January.

That narrative harks back to a relatively opaque part of his life story — the years after he left his arranged marriage as a teenager.

Modi says he left for the Himalayas and pursued a monk-like life of renunciation. He had no material possessions and ate only food given to him by strangers.

"There was no comfort in my life. I had a small bag and my whole life was in that bag," he told biographer Andy Marino.

He says he studied the teachings of one of India's most iconic Hindu spiritual leaders, Swami Vivekananda, and went to his ashrams seeking to become a monk.

The story goes that after being turned away twice, at the third ashram a monk told Modi that his destiny lay elsewhere. That's what set him on his path of politics.

"He was advised by the great monk who was there at the time he could reach out to larger masses, so his reach is huge," Swami Shantatmananda, a current monk at one of the Vivekananda ashrams, says.

"He has brought in immeasurable changes, a revolution awakening in the country."

But not everyone is convinced.

"There's just not a lot of contemporary evidence that would suggest that we know exactly what was going on," says Griffith University professor Ian Hall, one of Australia's leading experts on India.

"I don't expect the monastery kept records of that kind of interaction either, so what we're left with is a story that is presented later on by the sympathetic biographers."

Swami Vivekananda introduced Hinduism and yoga to the West in the 1800s.

He attained enormous influence in India and around the world, in part because of his teachings that anyone of any religion can find God using Hindu philosophy.

The swami, his influence and his teachings have informed Narendra Modi's curated public image since those teenage years. In 2012, he tweeted a quote from the monk every day for a year.

Professor Hall says an affinity with Swami Vivekananda helps Modi attract moderate Indian voters who may be concerned by his connections with the far-right RSS.

"He's setting up an alternative … softer, friendlier, broader kind of figure [with Swami Vivekananda] as his guru and his intellectual inspiration," he says.

"Modi here is reaching for a figure that allows him to then reassure those who are concerned that he's going to be a real hardliner."

The Modi image

Part of the genius of the Modi narrative has been his ability to be many things to many people.

"I've gone backwards and forwards from thinking that Modi was a very hardline Hindu nationalist to thinking that he was somebody who was more of a moderniser," Professor Hall says.

"The reality is that Modi is able to present himself in all of those different avatars at once or to different audiences."

Modi has been described as a mastermind of image management.

He has managed to escape reputational stain despite the various accusations against him, from targeting religious minorities to democratic backsliding.

He's also widely promoted his successes in developing India and bringing the country to the world stage.

Before the digital age, Modi would personally fax press releases to lists of journalists to ensure his words and deeds attracted fast distribution and positive coverage.

He now runs a slick social media operation in which he controls his own story — he has the largest following of any leader in the world.

But his critics say measures introduced under Modi's leadership have severely undermined press freedoms.

Last year, the Modi government banned a BBC documentary that was critical of the prime minister's role in deadly religious riots that broke out in 2002. Tax authorities searched the broadcaster's bureaus in India the week after the program went to air.

Reporters Without Borders has warned "press freedom is in crisis" in India , noting in its most recent report that an average of three or four journalists are killed in connection with their work in the country every year.

Modi's office has not responded to numerous requests for an interview with the ABC.

"[We've] had a prime minister who's refused to engage with the press," Indian journalist Manisha Pande says.

"You have almost North Korean levels of obedience in major prime-time anchors, major prime-time news."

The prime minister has consistently denied he is threatening democracy. 

"I am not undemocratic. I have met 250 people in Delhi for three hours each of freewheeling discussions," he told newspaper Indian Express in 2019.

"I believe that the thinking of the government as well as the thinking of the people in media should be transparent … whether news gets published is not the only thing in a democracy."

Modi's entire life has centred around being India's leader and many, like Professor Hall, say he'll do anything to hold onto that.

“He's the ultimate power politician — he just wants to stay in power."

Modi will be 73 during the upcoming election.

If he wins, as everyone predicts, it will likely be his final term because of an age limit of 75 years for BJP electoral candidates.

The rest of Modi's story remains undetermined. But rules can change.

"He will not leave the post of prime minister while he's alive," his childhood friend Syamaldas says.

"He is such a powerful person."

The ABC's seven-part podcast series, Looking For Modi , is out today. Listen to the first episode on ABC Listen.

• Reporting: Avani Dias
• Photography and video: Som Patidar and Meghna Bali, with additional photography courtesy of AFP, AP, Reuters, Election Commission of India, Thomas Harrison (public domain), and Narendra Modi.
• Digital production: Lucy Sweeney
• Podcast production and research:  Madeleine Genner and Yasmin Parry
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• PM Modi to visit Bhutan from March 22-23, 2024 --> PM Modi to visit Bhutan from March 22-23, 2024 --> PM Modi to visit Bhutan from March 22-23, 2024

PM Modi to visit Bhutan from March 22-23, 2024

​​Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will pay a State visit to Bhutan from 22-23 March 2024. The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Bhutan and the Government’s emphasis on its Neighbourhood First Policy.

​​​During the visit, Prime Minister will receive audience with His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan and His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan. Prime Minister will also hold talks with the Prime Minister of Bhutan H.E. Mr. Tshering Tobgay.

​​​India and Bhutan share a unique and enduring partnership which is rooted in mutual trust, understanding and goodwill. Our shared spiritual heritage and warm people to people ties add depth and vibrancy to our exceptional relations. The visit will provide an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on bilateral and regional matters of interest and deliberate on ways to expand and intensify our exemplary partnership for the benefit of our peoples.

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The V iksit Bharat Ambassador Lucknow Meet Up , held at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, was attended by over 1,500 people, including students, industry leaders, professionals from organisations like CII, FICCI, LMA, IIA, lawyers, and entrepreneurs from the city. The 29th March event was a great success, with participants showing enthusiasm and a shared commitment to contribute to and amplify India's progress.

Innovative ideas and visionary discussions took centre stage at the @VBA2024 meet-up, with Min. @ianuragthakur taking the lead along with Uttar Pradesh's Dy. CM @brajeshpathakup 1500+ attendees, including students and industry stalwarts from CII, FICCI, LMA, and IIA, joined… pic.twitter.com/eVMYZTfhYg — narendramodi_in (@narendramodi_in) March 29, 2024

The Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mr Brijesh Pathak , welcomed everyone to the event and highlighted the government's support for initiatives driving socio-economic progress.

आज लखनऊ में आयोजित "VIKSIT BHARAT AMBASSADOR LUCKNOW MEET UP" कार्यक्रम को संबोधित करते हुए। इस अवसर पर मा० केंद्रीय मंत्री श्री अनुराग ठाकुर जी, मा० परिवहन मंत्री (स्वतंत्र प्रभार) श्री दयाशंकर सिंह जी, महानगर अध्यक्ष, भाजपा लखनऊ श्री आनंद द्विवेदी जी, मा० विधायक श्री नीरज बोरा… pic.twitter.com/WVMuempnAI — Brajesh Pathak (मोदी का परिवार) (@brajeshpathakup) March 29, 2024

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, addressed the Viksit Bharat Ambassador meet-up program in Lucknow and emphasised the transformative journey India has undertaken under the leadership of the Modi government. Minister Thakur highlighted the government's three key mantras - 'Reform, Perform, and Transform,' which have played a pivotal role in this evolution, with a focus on extending benefits to every citizen.

The digital India dream of PM Modi is now reality: Union Minister Anurag Thakur at Viksit Bharat Ambassadors' meetup in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/P77opqxrux — IANS (@ians_india) March 29, 2024

केंद्रीय मंत्री अनुराग ठाकुर लखनऊ में आयोजित 'विकसित भारत एंबेसडर' कार्यक्रम में शामिल हुए. pic.twitter.com/FuGyeK89vS — IANS Hindi (@IANSKhabar) March 29, 2024

Union Minister Anurag Thakur credited the decisive leadership of the Modi government for the significant changes witnessed in the past decade. He pointed out the transition from a struggling economy labelled the 'Fragile Five' to a thriving economy and the uplifting of 25 crore people from below the poverty line as notable achievements.

'India now has the world's third-largest startup ecosystem under PM Modi's leadership', says Union Minister Anurag Thakur at the Viksit Bharat Ambassadors' meetup in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/DuKm2E7PNu — IANS (@ians_india) March 29, 2024

Mr Thakur reflected on the past and compared the UPA era, which was marked by corruption scandals and remote-control governance, with the current government's transparent and proactive approach. He pointed out key economic indicators such as India's rapid growth trajectory and its upcoming position as the world's third-largest economy in the coming years. The minister also touched upon the government's dedication to improving women's lives by mentioning various schemes such as free LPG cylinders, sanitation facilities, maternity benefits, and skill training initiatives aimed at empowering women.

Watch: Union Minister Anurag Thakur indirectly attacks Congress at the Viksit Bharat Ambassadors' meetup in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/4qe5cvM1EP — IANS (@ians_india) March 29, 2024

''The Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma Scheme is enabling people to do self-employment," says Union Minister Anurag Thakur at the Viksit Bharat Ambassadors' meetup in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/MLXF5hXte0 — IANS (@ians_india) March 29, 2024

Mr Anurag Thakur praised Uttar Pradesh for its contributions to India's development, emphasising the state's crucial role in achieving India's vision of a developed nation. He highlighted its progress in various sectors, including establishing bases by major aircraft makers such as Boeing and Airbus, with Uttar Pradesh leading in defence infrastructure. He also noted the state's burgeoning aviation sector, with plans for international airport development. Minister Anurag Thakur described Ram Mandir as a manifestation of a 500-year-old dream. He also stated that the Modi government has made consistent and sustained efforts to strengthen the nation's infrastructure, kick-start the economy in many new sectors, and revitalise the places of worship.

Innovative ideas and visionary discussions took centre stage at the @VBA2024 meet-up, with Min. @ianuragthakur taking the lead along with Uttar Pradesh's Dy. CM @brajeshpathakup 1500+ attendees, including students and industry stalwarts from CII, FICCI, LMA, and IIA, joined… pic.twitter.com/Js1mpIs3Hx — NarendraModi App (@NamoApp) March 29, 2024

During the event, he encouraged the attendees to become Viksit Bharat Ambassadors and help achieve the Viksit Bharat 2047 objective. He asked them to spread the word about the various 'growth markers' and encourage their fellow citizens to join India's journey towards becoming a developed nation.

The Viksit Bharat Ambassador Lucknow meet-up served as a platform to celebrate India's achievements, discuss ongoing initiatives, and rally support for the nation's continued progress towards a developed and empowered India by 2047.

The Vision of Viksit Bharat: 140 crore dreams, 1 purpose The Viksit Bharat Ambassador movement aims to encourage citizens to take responsibility for contributing to India's development. VBA meet-ups and events are being organized in various parts of the country to achieve this goal. These events provide a platform for participants to engage in constructive discussions, exchange ideas, and explore practical strategies for contributing to the movement. Join the movement on the NaMo App : https://www.narendramodi.in/ViksitBharatAmbassador

The NaMo App: Bridging the Gap Prime Minister Narendra Modi's app, the NaMo App, is a digital bridge that empowers citizens to participate in the Viksit Bharat Ambassador movement. The NaMo App serves as a one-stop platform for individuals to:

Join the cause: Sign up and become a Viksit Bharat Ambassador and make 10 other people Amplify Development Stories: Access updates, news, and resources related to the movement. Create/Join Events: Create and discover local events, meet-ups, and volunteer opportunities. Connect/Network: Find and interact with like-minded individuals who share the vision of a developed India. The 'VBA Event' section in the 'Onground Tasks' tab of the 'Volunteer Module' of the NaMo App allows users to stay updated with the ongoing VBA events.

During the event, Mr Akhilesh Mishra, CEO of BlueKraft Digital Foundation, highlighted the direct communication channel available to the public with Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the NaMo App.

Watch: "One can directly get in touch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi via the NaMo App," says Akhilesh Mishra, CEO of BlueKraft Digital Foundation. pic.twitter.com/lD7iupJ43m — IANS (@ians_india) March 29, 2024

Mr Hitesh Jain, Vice President of BJP Mumbai Pradesh, encouraged individuals to join as Viksit Bharat Ambassadors, highlighting opportunities for active participation in national development.

'You can also become a Viksit Bharat Ambassador, says Hitesh Jain, Vice President of BJP Mumbai Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/6Y3x7B8mvg — IANS (@ians_india) March 29, 2024

A participant at the Viksit Bharat Ambassadors' meet-up in Lucknow shared that government initiatives are making real strides in reaching the people, bringing India closer to our 2047 goals.

Watch: ''Govt initiatives are reaching the people, and we are close to achieving our goals for 2047," says a participant at the Viksit Bharat Ambassadors' meetup in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/OpJuHOOSyR — IANS (@ians_india) March 29, 2024

Another participant expressed optimism, noting that the current pace of development is steadily propelling India towards it’s 2047 aspirations.

Watch: 'The current pace of development is moving positively towards the goal of 2047,' says a participant at the Viksit Bharat Ambassadors' meetup in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/x9iMFcch0D — IANS (@ians_india) March 29, 2024

Another appreciated the skill development program as a commendable initiative by the current government.

Watch: "The skill development program is a great initiative by the current govt," says a participant at the Viksit Bharat Ambassadors' meetup in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/XtVviOQo4O — IANS (@ians_india) March 29, 2024

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