Washington: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister, describing him as “a Great One” and praising his leadership and prospects.
“Congratulations to my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister – And a Great One he is! He is a strong, healthy, and wise man, and will have many years of Greatness and Success ahead of him!” President Donald J. Trump said.
Trump’s message led a series of congratulatory remarks from American political leaders, business executives and prominent members of the Indian diaspora marking Modi’s milestone of 4,399 days in office.
US Senator John Cornyn said Modi’s achievement reflected the confidence Indian voters had reposed in him across three consecutive electoral mandates.
“Congratulations to Prime Minister @narendramodi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister — 4,399 days of leadership earned through the trust of 1.4 billion people across three democratic mandates,” Cornyn wrote.
“From lifting 250 million out of poverty to making India the world’s fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi’s tenure has been nothing short of transformational. The US-India partnership has never been stronger,” he added.
Arun Agarwal, Co-founder of the Indian American CEO Council and Chair of the Texas Economic Development Corporation, said the milestone provided an opportunity to assess India’s transformation over the past decade.
“The India of 2026 is not the India of 2014,” Agarwal wrote in a commentary. He said it was “difficult to deny that India today stands taller, speaks louder, and commands greater attention on the global stage than it did a decade ago.”
He added: “For many decades, India was often described as a nation with enormous potential. Today, it is increasingly viewed as a nation realising that potential.”
He argued that global leaders increasingly seek India’s partnership and that international corporations now see India “not merely as a market but as a strategic destination for investment and innovation.”
Agarwal said the last twelve years would likely be remembered as a period that “accelerated India’s rise and altered global perceptions of what India can achieve.”
Nikesh Arora, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Palo Alto Networks, also congratulated Modi.
“Congratulating Prime Minister @narendramodi on becoming India’s longest-serving elected Prime Minister — 4,399 days of leadership earned through the trust of 1.4 billion people across three democratic mandates,” Arora wrote.
“From lifting 250 million out of poverty to making India the world’s fastest-growing major economy, PM Modi’s tenure has been nothing short of transformational. Look forward to a continued US-India partnership,” he said.
American singer Mary Millben described the occasion as “a historic, democratic milestone in the journey of a great Nation.”
“Today, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to my friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister,” she said.
Millben also praised PM Modi’s stewardship of India-US ties.
“I honor your leadership in advancing the US-India relationship. You have outlasted consecutive US Presidents, some with whom you had a great relationship and others you have had great grace towards, yet you never wavered in exercising clear diplomacy that upheld the interests of the Indian people, coupled with the health of our two countries,” she said.
Modi first assumed office in May 2014 and subsequently secured re-election in 2019 and 2024, making him one of the longest-serving leaders in India’s democratic history.
During his tenure, India has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies, expanded its digital public infrastructure, strengthened its role in international institutions and deepened strategic partnerships with major powers, including the United States. The India-US relationship has witnessed significant growth across defence cooperation, critical and emerging technologies, trade, energy, education and people-to-people exchanges.
(IANS)
