Narendra Modi has started posting casual, selfie-style videos on Instagram in a clear attempt to connect with young Indians after recent Gen Z protests highlighted anger over jobs and education. The prime minister’s latest clips show him in a biker jacket and sunglasses set to rap music, or using the familiar Friends theme song to project reliability.
One vertical video uploaded on 31 July begins with a simple “Hi, friends.” It forms part of a wider push aimed at roughly 400 million young voters before the 2029 general election. Political observers note that platforms like Instagram reward spontaneity and authenticity more than the polished, top-down messaging that worked well for Modi on television, WhatsApp and X.
The shift follows last month’s street protests that forced the education minister to resign. Students and job seekers were furious after an examination paper was leaked, an event that threatened career paths in a country where such tests are seen as the route to secure jobs.
Cabinet ministers and government departments have quickly followed the prime minister’s lead. Over the past ten days they have released a steady stream of short, lightly edited clips. The foreign ministry announced on Thursday that it would also begin posting on Snapchat.
Since 2014 Modi has been praised for transforming political communication through digital tools. Yet analysts say the earlier content often felt too carefully staged for younger audiences who prefer raw and unfiltered videos. “Content that looks measured and staged is less likely to appeal,” said Joyojeet Pal of the University of Michigan.
With more than half of India’s 1.4 billion people under 35, Gen Z is set to become one of the largest voting groups by 2029. The ruling party is therefore expanding its outreach beyond social media. On Thursday the chief of its ideological parent organisation addressed about 2,000 students in Mumbai.
At a recent cabinet meeting Modi urged ministers to appear more often on youth-oriented platforms and to keep their videos less polished. Party communication teams now prioritise reels with minimal editing and a sense of naturalness.
Whether the new approach will succeed remains open. Some commentators warn that serious political messages packaged as reels can still attract trolling. The internet has its own culture, and it is not yet clear if young voters will respond to the change.
