Gen Z: India's BJP mastered WhatsApp and X. Now it is trying to crack Instagram - BBC News

Narendra Modi's new, more casual online persona is drawing attention from young Indians - but also plenty of scepticism.

Image source, ReutersByNikita YadavBBC News, DelhiPublished21 August 2026Many among India's Gen Z may not see Narendra Modi as a friend. But the Indian prime minister is trying to talk to them like one.

The 75-year-old leader - who has long cultivated a strongman image through scripted speeches, formal broadcasts and carefully choreographed appearances - has in recent weeks adopted a more casual style on Instagram, the photo and video platform popular with young people.

Modi's timeline, which until a month ago featured carefully curated posts, now also includes more "candid" content, such as a get-ready-with-me reel and several selfie-style addresses to young people, whom he calls "friends".

In one video, he even refers to a phrase popular among Gen Z, saying, "first in my bloodline, external to build a rocket, a chip and a drone" while addressing students at a graduation ceremony in Delhi.

Modi has more than 106 million followers on Instagram, making him one of the most-followed political leaders on the platform.