With as many as 1.82 crore first-time voters this year, Modi’s move is being seen as a bid to win them over. But this is not the first time he has thought out of the box to charm India’s young population.
Pushing the ‘right buttons’
This is of course the latest brainchild of the Prime Minister as he met seven top gamers in a room at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg — the official residence of the PM that was illuminated in neon lights, reflecting the vibe of the generation of people he was meeting.
Animesh Agarwal, Naman Mathur, Mithilesh Patankar, Payal Dhare, Tirth Mehta, Ganesh Gangadhar, and Anshu Bisht were among the gamers invited to chat with the Prime Minister whose videos will be released this Saturday morning, said government sources.
Most of them are in their twenties and have scaled success in the world of gaming. For instance, Animesh, who calls himself “Thug”, is the CEO & MD at 8BIT Creatives and co-owner of Monster Gaming. They may have achieved a lot early in life but are in many ways like other Gen Z people, said sources. No wonder some of them walked into the PM’s residence wearing untucked shirts and a few were in hoodies.
And it only took a few moments for the Prime Minister to click with them. “Even if I were to teach my father, he wouldn’t be as comfortable (as PM Modi was) on the first try,” said one of the gamers.
Payal, the only woman in the group, said, “I didn’t feel the age gap between us when we met him.” One of them couldn’t help but admit after the meeting: “The biggest influencer of India is our Prime Minister.”
So, a week before the general elections, PM Modi sent out a strong message to the 1.82 crore first-time voters that he is not just about rallies and parliamentary debates but is as “cool” as they are.
Eyes on the ‘prize’
Social media influencers and digital creators hold sway in the virtual world. Millions of digital creators on Facebook, Instagram, X, and other platforms — some with millions of followers — create content on social media. This March, for the first time, the Modi government decided to establish the National Creators Award for them.
Tech expert Naman Deshmukh bagged the “Best Creator” award in the education category and Gaurav Chaudhary aka Technical Guruji won the “Tech Creator” award. “Best Disruptor of the Year” was Ranveer Allahbadia. It was a full house of those whose reels are a daily go-to place for millions of young Indians.
While introducing PM Modi to the stage, Shamani, a motivational speaker with two million followers on Instagram, said, “His reels go viral, his tweets become trends and his slogans become hashtags…he is the influencer of the influencers.”
Young India did take note of who their influencer was being influenced by.
Focus on NCC
While the National Cadet Corps (NCC) — India’s largest uniformed youth organisation — has been around for a long time, PM Modi put a special thrust on this wing of the armed forces that has mostly teenagers.
The Prime Minister has already laid out the plans for the expansion of the NCC in border and coastal areas. In an Independence Day speech in 2021, he announced a new role for the organisation in 175 such districts.
1 lakh cadets are being trained by the Army, Air Force, and Navy. A third of them are girl cadets. Training infrastructure for NCC is being strengthened. As against just one firing simulator earlier, 98 are being established under this government. Micro flight simulators are also being increased from 5 to 44 and rowing simulators from 11 to 60, the PM said in one of his speeches to NCC cadets.
This year’s camp saw the largest-ever participation of girl cadets, 907, on Republic Day. Just like his interaction with gamers, PM Modi continues to Reach out to youngsters with his focus on NCC.
Game plan with sports stars
Gone are the days when the Prime Minister would send out a social media post for Indian sportspersons’ achievements in international events like the Olympics, World Cup, or Asian Games. PM Modi calls up every winner to congratulate them, knowing fully well how obsessively many youngsters follow sports.
Not just cricket, which anyway gets a lot of attention, but in the last few years the PM has called up winners in boxing, badminton, and track and field events.
He even met Nikhat Zareen, Manisha Moun, and Parveen Hooda who won medals in the World Boxing Championships, and, on request, signed their t-shirts. In 2021, when he met a group of sportspersons at his official residence, he ensured PV Sindhu got her ice cream which he “promised” before a tournament.
However, he did not just share the good times with them. In 2023, he proved to be a support for the Indian cricket team when it lost in the World Cup final. Going inside the dressing room, he consoled many who were on the brink of breaking down.
While it impressed all, it apparently impressed youngsters in particular.
Narendra Modi knows the language, habits, and expectations of the youth. That is why he can talk about “labharthi yojana” in a political rally but reach out to youngsters with a “vibe check”. He understands what PUBG is and casually talks about it while speaking to schoolchildren.
No wonder ace gamer Payal Dhare, who is in her twenties, didn’t feel any age gap between her and the 73-year-old Prime Minister.