Narendra Modi's stunning electoral victory has given his Bharatiya Janta Party an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament). Rising above the controversies that have surrounded him since he became Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2002, the new Indian Prime Minister has immediately embarked on an ambitious programme of economic reforms at home and of active diplomacy and cultural projection abroad. With his background and reputation as a Hindu nationalist, Modi appears to be striving for a careful mix of economic liberalisation and socially inclusive provisions.
