NEW DELHI: As 2026 comes into view, Prime Minister Narconcludera Modi appears politically steadier. Perhaps reinforced after a bruising year that tested India’s resilience and his own political instincts.
The opposition launched with urgency and promise, briefly shaping the political conversation and raising expectations of a turning tide. But momentum ebbed. By the time the dust settled, the BJP’s victory in Bihar had reset the narrative, paving way for Modi’s continued centrality and reasserting the party’s dominance in national political discourse.
The year 2025 opened with sharp external shocks, most notably an unprecedented trade and tariff tussle with the United States. For a leader who has invested enormous political capital in diplomacy and in projecting India as a reliable global partner, the sudden chill in India–US relations posed a real test. Few anticipated that a relationship built over decades could fray so quickly.
Even as ties with Washington cooled, India pressed ahead with trade diplomacy, signing free trade agreements with the UK, New Zealand, and Oman, while building decisive progress with the European Union. India could hedge, diversify, and keep its economic doors open, even amid geopolitical uncertainty.
At home, 2025 laid bare the counattempt’s governance stresses. The southwest monsoon was harsh, nearly half the counattempt was lashed by extreme rainfall, floods and landslides claimed over 1,500 lives. The worst aviation accident in a very long time shook public confidence.
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