VIEWPOINT | Posts with Prime Minister Modi prove Brand India's digital multiplier effect
Guest column by the Consulate General of India, Seattle
Digital diplomacy has handed world leaders an unexpected advantage: a shared post, or “collab,” with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These engagements create a distinct digital multiplier effect. Posts featuring Modi routinely outperform a leader’s usual social media benchmarks by several multiples, turning diplomatic interactions into high-visibility digital moments. Across leaders and platforms, engagement with Prime Minister Modi consistently delivers a powerful digital uplift.
The data clearly illustrates this effect. The famous “melody chocolate” interaction posted together by PM Modi and PM Georgia Meloni of Italy on Instagram garnered 242 million views, which is nearly 64 times higher than her average of 3.8 million views across the preceding 10 posts. In terms of likes, the post received 11 million likes, around 88 times higher than her preceding 10-post average of 124.8K likes.
On X (formerly Twitter), President of EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen’s post with Prime Minister Modi wearing matching Indian ethnic wear received 8 million views, nearly seven times higher than her previous 10-post average of 1.21 million views.
When President Alexander Stubb of Finland gushed about the 4 million views he received from his joint post with Prime Minister Modi, he captured a larger trend: Every leader’s Instagram profile receives a massive boost after posting with PM Modi. The post currently has 15 million views, which is nearly three times the population of Finland.
This reflects two powerful forces working together. First is the strength of Brand Modi, a leader with one of the world’s most engaged digital followings, whose public communication is direct, frequent and deeply connected with people. Indians respond to him because they see him as a leader who understands their aspirations, emotions and India’s place in the world.
Second is the strength of Brand India, which comprises a confident, digitally active and globally aware public that participates vigorously in public issues. Indian citizens do not merely consume such content; they amplify it. When a world leader posts about Prime Minister Modi or India, Indian audiences engage at scale, converting a diplomatic interaction into a high-visibility digital moment. This is the power of India’s people as a force multiplier in global communication.
Taken together, the social media statistics underscore how seriously India treats its digital diplomacy and how effectively it converts the reach of its prime minister into global attention. For any nation or leader hoping to connect with the Indian public, the surest route increasingly runs through a post with Narendra Modi.
This content is in partnership between The Dakota Scout and the Consulate General of India in Seattle intended to explore ideas, traditions and policy ties shaping the relationship between India, South Dakota and the United States.
