NEW DELHI: As the Modi government completes the first year of its unprecedented third consecutive term, India finds itself navigating a landscape defined by both political recalibration at home and assertive re-engagement abroad.
The 2024 general elections ushered in a significant shift: for the first time since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is at the helm of a coalition government.
This has necessitated a more consultative and consensus-driven style of governance, compelling the BJP to adapt its political strategy to accommodate the diverse interests within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Domestically, this new coalition dynamic has driven both tactical flexibility and policy evolution. While the BJP fell short of a parliamentary majority, it swiftly reasserted its dominance within the NDA and gained momentum in key state elections, indicating political resilience.
Legislative moves such as the caste census and the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, underscore a balancing act between ideological priorities and the imperatives of coalition politics.
Simultaneously, efforts to revive reforms like “One Nation, One Election” reflect the continued pursuit of a key ideological project, despite being in a coalition government.
On the foreign policy front, Modi 3.0 has projected continuity with added urgency. From making an all-out engagement with the Trump administration from the very beginning to initiating all-party diplomatic delegations and managing delicate relationships in South Asia, the government has sought to build bipartisan consensus on external affairs and the national security front.
Strategic engagement with China led to limited military disengagement at flashpoints such as Depsang and Demchok, while relations with Bangladesh entered a fragile phase following internal political shifts in Dhaka.
Security concerns, such as the Pahalgam terrorist attack, prompted a calibrated response combining diplomatic assertion with limited military offensive, signalling a more adaptive deterrence posture.
In many ways, the first year of Modi 3.0 has been marked by a dual transition: domestically, from single-party dominance to coalition governance; and internationally, from rhetorical assertiveness to pragmatic recalibration.
The government’s challenge now lies in sustaining policy momentum while navigating the complex demands of alliance politics and an evolving global order with Donald Trump at the helm.