The findings of an international survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a Washington DC-based fact tank revealed that India is viewed positively by people of major economies. Adults interviewed from across 23 countries across the globe gave a positive image of India — a median of 46% adults hold a favourable view of India while a median of 34% hold an unfavourable view. The remaining 20% offered a balanced or no view of their image of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been traversing the globe seeking to improve relations with other countries and to boost trade.
The Hindu newspaper of August 20, 2023 reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a 79% favourable view by Indians (in India) with 55% having a ‘very’ favourable view.
The report was released ahead of the gathering of world leaders for the G20 Summit in India on September 10 and 11. The report pointed out that a median of 37% have confidence in Mr. Modi. Kenyans had the highest faith in Mr. Modi, with 60% saying they trusted him to do the right thing regarding world affairs. This is contrast with only 12% in Argentina who said they had confidence in the Indian Prime Minister.
The survey found that a median of 28% found that Indian’s influence in the world is rising. Only 23% of adults in the US found that India’s influence in the world is rising. Australia showed the highest percentage of people who say India’s influence is rising in world affairs. 68% of Indians say India’s influence is rising around the world. The positive attitude of the globe and of Indians towards India’s status is a result of the leadership of Narendra Modi who became Prime Minister in May 2014. 60% of Indians see Rahul Gandhi in a favourable light while 34% viewed him unfavourably. This is up from a previous survey.
The survey found that USA is viewed very positively in India. In India, the U.S is seen favourably by (65%) – the highest among all countries surveyed. The survey found that around 75% of Indian adults held unfavourable views about Pakistan.
The Pew Center report is based on a nationally representative survey of 2,611 adults in India, 3,756 American adults, and 24,674 adults in other countries from Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, North America and Latin America. The surveys were conducted during February-May, 2023.