'Earlier Gandhi, Now PM Modi': Union Minister's Take On India's Biggest Brand Ambassador
'Earlier Gandhi, Now PM Modi': Union Minister's Take On India's Biggest Brand Ambassador Published By, Last Updated: May 30, 2026, 20:23 IST Union Minister Gajendra
'Earlier Gandhi, Now PM Modi': Union Minister's Take On India's Biggest Brand Ambassador Published By, Last Updated: May 30, 2026, 20:23 IST Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said India's image abroad was linked only to Mahatma Gandhi for a long time, but now PM Modi was the country's biggest brand ambassador. Rapid Read Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. (PTI Image) Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said India’s identity abroad was once only linked with Mahatma Gandhi, but now Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the country’s “biggest brand ambassador". In an interview with news agency PTI, Shekhawat said the way India had been perceived in India was “somewhat lacking." “Till 10-15 years ago, if you went to any country in the world and if you asked a person, based on his appearance, whether he was an Indian, he would hesitate in calling himself an Indian.
He would introduce himself as an Asian. Then, if you asked him, where in Asia he was from, he would say that I am an Indian," he said. The Union Minister said India’s image and identity were “stuck with Gandhiji" for a long time, as anyone introducing themselves as Indian would be reminded of the icon who spearheaded the Indian independence movement. PM Modi Now ‘Brand Ambassador’ Of India However, Shekhawat said now Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the “biggest brand ambassador" of the country. “Today, and I say it with confidence, you can go to any country in the world… from the smallest Caribbean island to America, and from South Asia to West Asia, you can go anywhere, and if you tell someone that ‘I am from India’, you will see a bright smile on his face, and an exclamation, ‘India!
Oh, Mr Modi’." He clarified that his remarks were not politically motivated and reflected the perspective of an ordinary citizen. He also said India’s culture and heritage remained the essence of the country, but the image of a leader also impacted the image of the country abroad. Shekhawat also said India’s positive image abroad will boost its tourism, adding, “The change that has taken place gives India leverage and gives the confidence and conviction that foreign tourist arrivals in India will grow from 10 crore at present to 100 crore by 2047." He also spoke about India’s cultural plurality, saying that the Indian civilisation is an “amalgamation" of different faiths, and that pages of history, “no matter what their colour", cannot be removed.
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