Till 10-15 years ago, India’s identity abroad was primarily linked with Mahatma Gandhi but that has changed and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now the country’s “biggest brand ambassador”, says Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The culture of India – its heritage, festivals and cuisine – is the country’s identity too, the Union culture and tourism minister said in an interview with PTI Videos.

The way India was perceived in the world had been “somewhat lacking”,he said.
“Till 10-15 years ago, if you went to any country in the world and if you asked a person, based on his appearance, whether he was an Indian, he would hesitate in calling himself an Indian. He would introduce himself as an Asian.
“Then, if you asked him, where in Asia he was from, he would say that I am an Indian,” the minister told PTI earlier this week.
Moreover, if a visitor would tell anyone abroad that he or she was an India, the answer would be, “India! Oh, Mr Gandhi”, Shekhawat said, adding that the image and identity of India remained “stuck with Gandhiji”.

“But today, and I say it with confidence, you can go to any country in the world… from the smallest Caribbean island to America, and from South Asia to West Asia, you can go anywhere, and if you tell someone that ‘I am from India’, you will see a bright smile on his face, and an exclamation, ‘India! Oh, Mr Modi’.” The minister was asked what was India’s bigger brand ambassador — culture and tourism or Bollywood.
“Nowadays, the biggest brand ambassador we have is our prime minister,” he replied.

“Otherwise also, this is not a political reply. I am saying this as a layman. Like we just said, till 10-15 years ago, Gandhiji was the brand ambassador of India for decades. And now Modiji is the brand ambassador of India. But the culture of India is the brand ambassador of India. And the culture of India is the identity of India in itself,” Shekhawat said.

While culture and heritage will remain the essence of a country and its identity, the image of a leader changes the image of a country abroad, he said. And when the image of a country changes, it inevitably impacts the country’s tourism, and the attraction towards that country gets augmented, the tourism minister argued.
The change that has taken place gives India leverage and gives the confidence and conviction that foreign tourist arrivals in India will grow from 10 crore at present to 100 crore by 2047, Shekhawat added.

If there is any beneficiary sector in India’s anticipated economic prosperity and the way world class facilities are being developed, it will be tourism. Should tourism be treated as a strategically important sector, just like the IT sector is? “If I compare, I feel that it has not got that much strategic importance, but the prime minister has worked at a very swift pace in this direction,” Shekhawat replied.
All the missions of India have been told that one of the parameters for assessing their performance will be the number of tourists coming to India from that country. So, now the missions are also on the job, and everyone is on their toes, he said.

If South Korea made K-Pop a brand identity and Thailand sold its hospitality sector as its identity, what is India’s global tourism identity? “It is Incredible India. And, now we are taking it to Inevitable India,” the minister said. (Agencies)

Outgoing Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Saturday said he had a “very satisfying and excellent tenure” as he bid farewell to military service after receiving a ceremonial Guard of Honour and laying a wreath at the National War Memorial in the national capital.
Reflecting on the conclusion of his service, General Chauhan said it was a great honour to receive the Tri-Services Guard of Honour and thanked the three services and Headquarters IDS.
“It’s a matter of great honour for me to superannuate with a tri-services guard of honour. I thank the three services and Headquarters IDS for it. With the conclusion of the guard of honour, I bid farewell to my colleagues in uniform, comrades in arms forever. I just laid the wreath at the War Memorial for the last time in uniform, as a humble tribute to those who laid down their lives in the line of duty,” he told reporters.
“After the wreath laying, I was welcomed by the friends, relatives and well-wishers. This is symbolic of my transition from uniform to civilian life. I had a very satisfying and excellent tenure,” Chauhan added.
The ceremonial farewell marked the culmination of General Chauhan’s tenure as the country’s top military officer. His extended tenure as CDS and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet in September 2025, extending his service up to May 30, 2026.
Commissioned into the Indian Army in 1981, General Chauhan served for over four decades and held several key command and staff appointments during his distinguished military career. He has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
During his tenure as CDS, General Chauhan played a central role in pushing jointness and integration across the three services. On Friday, he released the Joint Air Defence Doctrine, described by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff as a significant step towards greater integration, synergy and operational preparedness among the armed forces.

Earlier this week, he also chaired the concluding meeting of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and launched the Tri-Services Tele Directory Web Application developed by the Directorate General of Signals to enhance coordination across the defence establishment.

General Chauhan had also addressed personnel at Headquarters IDS and the Department of Military Affairs, emphasising “JAI” — Jointness, Atmanirbharta and Innovation — as the guiding principle for transforming the Indian armed forces.

With the Guard of Honour at South Block and wreath-laying at the National War Memorial, General Chauhan formally concluded a tenure marked by a strong emphasis on tri-services integration, operational synergy and defence modernisation. (Agencies)

Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday said Operation Sindoor had set a benchmark for when national will was expressed with precision and resolve, defining India’s response to provocation.
Reviewing the passing-out parade of the 150th course at NDA, Khadakwasla, General Dwivedi said the world cadets were stepping into “does not pause for introductions” and threats today “do not always arrive in uniform or on a declared front”.

“From contested grey zones to high-velocity hybrid warfare, today’s security environment demands that those who serve must think sharply as they act,” he said while addressing the parade.
“Operation Sindoor demonstrated that and set the benchmark when national will was expressed with precision and resolve, defining how Bharat responds to provocation. That standard now belongs to you to uphold,” the Army Chief said.
He said that the integrated response seen in Operation Sindoor, India’s military exercise against terror infrastructure in Pakistan in May 2025, was built on the kind of jointness the NDA instils from day one.
“As our defence services deepen their integrated structures, remember, irrespective of the uniform we wear next, you will serve shoulder to shoulder again

Calling the occasion “a poignant and a particularly personal moment”, General Dwivedi recalled passing out from the same quarterdeck over 42 years ago. “Today, as I stand before you at the far end of a life in uniform, preparing to doff mine as you prepare to don yours, I can tell you with certainty: what you begin here endures forever,” he said.
He complimented the parade commander and cadets for an “impressive standard of drill” and extended special compliments to Cheetah Squadron for winning the banner.
He also acknowledged 24 cadets from 12 friendly foreign countries passing out with the course, saying, “You came from different soils, but you leave shaped by the same ground and the same values.” (Agencies)

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge attacked the Modi government on Tuesday over the rising fuel prices and asked why relief was not provided to people when crude oil prices fell during the last 12 years.
Kharge cited an official statement by the PIB to state that exactly 12 years ago today — on May 26, 2014 — when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office, the price of crude oil in the Indian basket stood at USD 108.05 per barrel, and the Dollar-Rupee exchange rate was Rs 58.59.

At that time, petrol was available at Rs 71.51 per litre, and diesel at Rs 56.71 per liter, he said in his post in Hindi on X.
Today, the price of crude oil is below USD 99 per barrel; yet, the prices of petrol and diesel have surged to Rs 102.12 and Rs 95.20 per litre, respectively, Kharge said.
In other words, while crude oil has become cheaper, petrol has become approximately 42.8% more expensive, and diesel about 67.9% more expensive, he said.
“Every economist knows that the rising cost of petrol and diesel impacts every sector. From transportation to food commodities, the burden of inflation on the common man continues to intensify. Despite this, the government’s profiteering continues unabated,” Kharge said.

“The question is straightforward: When crude oil prices have fallen, why have petrol and diesel become more expensive?” he said.

Why is there no relief for the public, Kharge asked.
The Congress on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the latest fuel hike, with Rahul Gandhi alleging that the “mehangai manav” has struck again and he has just one job of making promises during elections and attacking people’s pockets at other times.
Kharge also lashed out at the Modi government over the issue and asked who is benefitting from this “daily robbery”.

Petrol and diesel prices were raised by Rs 2.61-2.71 per litre on Monday, marking the fourth increase in less than two weeks as state-owned fuel retailers continued to pass on rising international oil prices to consumers. (Agencies)