India, Feb 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday achieved a historic PM Modi Instagram milestone, becoming the first world leader and politician to surpass 100 million followers on the social media platform.
Having joined Instagram in 2014, the Prime Minister’s account has grown into one of the most engaging digital platforms among global political figures. His follower count now stands significantly higher than other international leaders, with nearly double the audience of US President Donald Trump.
Global Leaders’ Instagram Following
Among prominent world leaders:
Donald Trump – 43.2 million followers
Prabowo Subianto (Indonesia) – 15 million
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil) – 14.4 million
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Turkey) – 11.6 million
Javier Milei (Argentina) – 6.4 million
Notably, the combined follower count of the next five major global leaders remains lower than Modi’s individual tally.
Dominance Among Indian Politicians
The Prime Minister also leads the digital space domestically by a wide margin. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath holds the second spot among Indian leaders with approximately 16.1 million followers, followed by Rahul Gandhi with around 12.6 million.
Israel Visit Highlights
The milestone comes during Modi’s visit to Israel, his second in nine years. Upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, he was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu.
During the visit, Modi addressed the Knesset and was conferred the Speaker of the Knesset Medal the highest honour of the Israeli Parliament in recognition of his role in strengthening India-Israel strategic ties. He is the first global leader to receive the distinction.
In his address, Modi reaffirmed India’s zero-tolerance policy toward terrorism and described the Gaza Peace Initiative as a pathway toward a “just and durable peace.” He emphasised that terrorism anywhere poses a threat to peace everywhere and called for coordinated international efforts to combat it.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu described Modi as “more than a friend” and thanked him for expressing solidarity with Israel following the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
The PM Modi Instagram milestone underscores his continued digital influence alongside active diplomatic engagements on the global stage.