At the Rising Bharat 2026 event, Network18 presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a special edition book chronicling his life and leadership. Conceived to mark his 75th birthday, the 176 page volume captures 75 milestones that define his journey from a young student in Vadnagar and an RSS pracharak to Chief Minister of Gujarat, Prime Minister of India and a global statesman.
Titled Modi at 75, the visually rich book was handed over to the Prime Minister by Rahul Joshi, Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief, and the core team behind the project: Brajesh Kumar Singh, Group Editor for Integration and Convergence; Rashmi Singh, Editor for Infographics; Soumyadip Choudhury, Product Head for News18 and Local18; Nadeem Alam, Executive Creative Director; Triparna Mitra, Principal Creative Director; Utpal Kumar, Deputy Executive Editor; Alankar, Principal Creative Director; and Santanu Kumar Santan, Creative Director. The Prime Minister also met the team on the occasion.
The book stands apart from a conventional publication. It is both a visual archive and a carefully structured narrative. Organised into five sections, it traces his formative years, his rise in public life, his tenure as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, his ongoing leadership as Prime Minister, and his role in shaping India’s global engagement.
The volume draws on rarely seen archival material, including photographs, letters, memorabilia and even an entry from the Prime Minister’s diary. Several of these have not been published before. The effort behind the book was extensive. A team of six researchers worked for over five months, planning, verifying details, combing through archives and sourcing rare images to ensure that no significant milestone was overlooked. This was followed by more than two months of intensive design development, illustration work and editorial review, with multiple rounds of discussions and vetting to maintain accuracy and context.
The project brought together some of the network’s most experienced editors and designers. It also used artificial intelligence to create illustrative renderings of moments from the Prime Minister’s life for which photographic records do not exist. One such AI generated depiction, portraying a phase of his life as an ascetic, drew a hearty laugh from the Prime Minister when he saw it.
Adding depth to the narrative are reflections from distinguished voices across the world. Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has written the preface, sharing his impressions of Narendra Modi’s leadership. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses his friend “Narendra” in a personal letter. The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, offers her perspective, while leading figures from India’s corporate sector reflect on his vision for growth and development. Together, these contributions highlight the breadth of his global relationships and the impact of his leadership across sectors.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a copy of ‘Modi at 75’ from Rahul Joshi (R), Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief, and Brajesh Kumar Singh, Group Editor for Integration and Convergence.
The book’s chapters reflect the arc of his public life. ‘Humble Beginnings’ traces his early years. ‘Rising Through the Ranks’ follows his grassroots work in the Sangh and the BJP. ‘A State Builder’ examines his years in Gujarat and the governance model that drew national attention. ‘Believing in Bharat’ looks at his efforts to steer a new India. ‘Navigating the Globe’ focuses on his diplomatic outreach and global partnerships.
More than a commemorative volume, Modi at 75 aims to serve as a reference work that sets out a clear timeline of events and achievements, addressing gaps and misconceptions that sometimes arise in fragmented news narratives. It is designed as a collector’s edition for readers interested in understanding the rise of a leader who journeyed from a small town in Gujarat to the highest elected office in the world’s largest democracy.
At Rising Bharat 2026, the presentation of the book and the Prime Minister’s interaction with the team celebrated not only of his 75 years, but also marked a moment of recognition of the collaborative effort that went into documenting them.
You can read the special edition Modi at 75 here: https://www.news18.com/modiat75/
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