The Indian Prime Minister leverages visual platforms to connect directly with citizens, leaving global leaders—including the US President—far behind in the digital race.
SHARJAH, UAE – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has achieved a historic social media milestone, becoming the first world leader to surpass 100 million followers on Instagram, the platform announced on Thursday.
Modi’s massive digital footprint places him firmly at the top of the global political leaderboard, with a commanding lead over his international counterparts. US President Donald Trump, who ranks second, trails with 43.2 million followers—less than half of Modi’s count.
The ranking underscores a strategic shift in political communication. Since joining Instagram in 2014, the year he first became prime minister, Modi has masterfully used visual and interactive platforms to engage directly with citizens and the Indian diaspora, effectively bypassing traditional media where he rarely interacts.
The Global Leaderboard: Where Other Leaders Stand
Following Modi’s historic milestone and Trump’s distant second-place finish, the rest of the top tier among world leaders includes:
- Prabowo Subianto (President of Indonesia): 15 million followers
- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (President of Brazil): 14.4 million followers
- Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (President of Turkey): 11.6 million followers
- Javier Milei (President of Argentina): 6.4 million followers
Dominance at Home
Modi’s influence extends far beyond international comparisons. On the domestic front, he maintains a significant lead over his Indian political rivals. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath follows with 16.1 million followers, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has 12.6 million.
The Instagram milestone complements Modi’s strong approval ratings at home. According to Statista’s 2025 rankings of selected world leaders, Modi holds the highest domestic approval rating at 70 percent. He is followed by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (63 percent) and Argentina’s Javier Milei (60 percent).
The announcement comes during Modi’s two-day official visit to Israel, where the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) conferred upon him the ‘Speaker of the Knesset Medal’—its highest honor—on Wednesday.
