Independent Report
Editorial | Syed Farooq Shah
India’s entry into 2026 reflects not resilience, but the cumulative cost of failed governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Years of inflated claims about economic strength and global stature have collided with reality: weakened institutions, stalled reforms, and a society increasingly divided by policy choices driven more by image than outcomes.
The Modi government’s promise to turn India into a global manufacturing and investment hub fell short. Make in India became a slogan-heavy project with limited delivery, as manufacturing stagnated, job creation slowed, and investors recoiled from regulatory unpredictability, policy shocks, and uneven enforcement. Whatever growth occurred remained narrow and exclusionary, leaving millions grappling with unemployment, rising prices, and shrinking purchasing power.
On the global stage, the much-touted doctrine of “strategic autonomy” unraveled into diplomatic ambiguity. India failed to secure durable trade agreements—most notably with the United States—while straining ties with key partners. The result was diminished leverage and eroded credibility.
At home, currency depreciation, rising debt, weak consumption, and persistent rural distress exposed the hollowness of official narratives. Centralised decision-making and short-term optics replaced structural reform, deepening institutional fatigue across ministries.
More damaging still has been Modi’s confrontational governance style. Exclusionary policies, intolerance of dissent, and the erosion of federal balance have sharpened internal fault lines. If this trajectory continues unchecked, India risks deeper fragmentation. India entered 2026 weaker because control was strengthened—but the country was not.
