Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reflected on his 25-year journey as head of a government, recalling the crises, experiences and people who shaped his approach to public service. Speaking at the BJP's ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Sabha’, organised as part of the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, Modi said his journey had taught him lessons through both difficult periods and successes. He described service as his guiding principle and said he lives for a mission rather than ambition. Modi completed 25 years as head of a government on October 7, 2026, having first taken oath as Gujarat Chief Minister on the same date in 2001. The Union Cabinet had also passed a resolution a day earlier congratulating him on completing 25 years of continuous leadership as head of government.

Addressing the gathering, Modi expressed gratitude to the people of India, the BJP, the National Democratic Alliance and political colleagues for their faith in democracy. He recalled that when he took oath as Gujarat Chief Minister on October 7, 2001, he had not imagined that the milestone of completing 25 years at the head of a government would arrive. “Seva hi dharm hai” or “Service is duty”, he underlined, adding that he “lives for mission, not ambition”. His comments echoed a theme that has featured throughout his political career. In an official message marking his entry into the 25th year of service in 2025, Modi had similarly described serving the country as the highest honour and a duty that gave him gratitude and purpose.

Looking back to his childhood in Vadnagar, Modi said his eagerness to learn had remained an important part of his personality. He recalled regularly being among the first students to arrive at school and said the lessons taught by his teachers continued to influence him. Modi said he still considers himself a student and tries to learn something new every day. He also spoke about the role played by people around him throughout his political journey, saying that supporters, critics and difficult experiences had each contributed to his learning. According to Modi, those who taught him helped him understand humility, while those who criticised or opposed him taught him to examine himself and find ways to rise again.

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The Prime Minister also reflected on how crises had shaped his understanding of leadership. He said every crisis tested his patience, while every success expanded his responsibilities. Each achievement, he added, gave him greater determination to pursue larger goals. His 25-year period as head of a government has included major events ranging from the 2001 Gujarat earthquake and subsequent reconstruction efforts to the Covid-19 pandemic, when governments around the world faced an unprecedented public-health and economic crisis. The Union Cabinet's recent resolution also highlighted the Covid period as one of the major challenges during Modi's tenure, citing India's vaccination drive and domestic vaccine development among the responses undertaken during the pandemic.

The journey from Gujarat to the national stage has also been marked by significant changes in governance, technology and public-service delivery. The Cabinet resolution passed on October 6 highlighted initiatives associated with Modi's governments, including Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and mobile connectivity, as well as the expansion of digital payments through UPI. It also pointed to India's development of Covid vaccines and the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission as examples of technological and scientific initiatives during his tenure. These references form part of the government's account of the 25-year leadership journey, while Modi's own remarks focused more broadly on the personal lessons he said he had drawn from people, challenges, successes and criticism.

As Modi marks 25 years at the head of a government, his remarks present the period as a continuous learning experience shaped by public responsibility and political challenges. He began as Gujarat Chief Minister in 2001 and later became Prime Minister in 2014, eventually securing a third consecutive term at the Centre. The Cabinet noted that his period of continuous leadership has now reached the 25-year milestone. Modi's central message at the anniversary event was that public service remains the purpose of his political journey, while the experiences of supporters, critics and crises have continued to influence his approach. The anniversary has been accompanied by events and government communications highlighting different aspects of his tenure, with the Prime Minister using the occasion to express gratitude and reiterate his commitment to public service.

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