A RINGSIDE VIEW OF MODI JI
LEADING 25-YEARS OF INCLUSIVE GROWTH

On a humid August afternoon in 2013, at Gujarat’s Mahatma Mandir, Narendra Modi asked a hall full of farmers to donate their iron implements for what would later become the Statue of Unity. The response was thunderous. “The entire hall reverberated with chants of Modi, Modi,” recalls author and reform historian and Chairman, SKOCH Group, Sameer Kochhar. “That was the moment when the idea of ModiNomics was born.”

Nearly a decade later, Kochhar stood at the India Habitat Centre for the launch of his latest work, ModiNomics – A Journey of Inclusive Growth. The event brought together Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting L Murugan and Secretary Sanjay Jaju, who joined Kochhar in reflecting on India’s economic transformation under Prime Minister Modi.

Kochhar reminded the audience of the contrast between India’s reform rich years from 1991 to 2010 and the “policy paralysis” of 2010-13, when scandals and stalled decision making left the economy in disarray. “Inflation was high, credit was scarce and corruption dominated global headlines,” he noted.

It was in this atmosphere of hopelessness, he said, that Narendra Modi emerged as a beacon of change. Kochhar explained how his own coinage of the term Modinomics was inspired by Modi’s emphasis on not just economic reforms but governance reforms that ensured benefits reached the last mile.

Over the years, Kochhar has chronicled key initiatives — from Jan Dhan Yojana to Digital India and Mudra Yojana — through multiple books. This new volume, he stressed, is different because it brings together hundreds of stories of ordinary Indians. “ModiNomics is not about abstract numbers,” he concluded. “It is about real people moving from poverty to dignity.”

L Murugan, described the book as “a journey of a legend” — capturing Modi’s continuous 25-years in public office. He said that the Prime Minister’s model of development combined massive infrastructure expansion with social transformation. He shared a personal anecdote from Erode district, where a roadside cucumber vendor insisted he pay via Google Pay. “This is the trust between government and citizens,” Murugan said. “Digital India has reached even the remotest corners. Today, cash is rare — even among street vendors.”

Murugan emphasised that India’s achievements are visible both in social and economic spheres: a growth rate of 7.8 percent despite global headwinds, new highways and airports and rising living standards. “Our Prime Minister has ensured that farmers, women, youth and the poor progress together,” he said, linking the book’s theme to the broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.

Jaju, placed the release in the context of Seva Pakhwada, the fortnight of service activities between PM Modi’s birthday and Gandhi Jayanti. “It is befitting that this book is released now,” he said, adding that ModiNomics had become “a word synonymous with today’s inclusive economics.” He added that while criticism is easy, recording positive changes requires courage.

For Kochhar, it is the chronicle of a reform era. For Murugan, it is a deeply personal journey from rural poverty to national empowerment. And for Jaju, it is evidence that India’s transformation must be recorded and studied, not just lived.