Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Instagram account reached 105 million followers this week [1].
The surge highlights the Indian leader's evolving digital strategy to engage younger demographics through short-form, vertical video content.
The growth followed the release of a selfie video specifically designed to resonate with Generation Z. According to reports, the account gained between three million [2] and nearly four million [1] new followers within a single week after the video went viral.
Meta, the parent company of Instagram, briefly restricted the video during its rise in popularity. The company later apologized and restored the content, an action that some observers said may have further amplified the video's visibility and reach [1].
Modi has long used social media to maintain a direct line of communication with the Indian public. The recent shift toward a more informal, selfie-style format marks a departure from traditional political broadcasting, a move that appears to have successfully captured the attention of the platform's younger user base.
The rapid increase in numbers underscores the scale of the Prime Minister's digital influence in India. While the account has seen steady growth over several years, the recent spike is one of the most significant short-term gains in the account's history [2].
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Instagram account reached 105 million followers this week.”
This surge demonstrates the effectiveness of 'native' social media formats—such as vertical selfie videos—in bridging the gap between traditional political leadership and Gen Z voters. The brief censorship by Meta likely created a 'Streisand Effect,' where the attempt to restrict content inadvertently drew more attention to it, ultimately benefiting the Prime Minister's digital reach.
