Indian PM Narendra Modi, who came to power in May, has started to use the radio as a medium to reach out to the majority of the population. About 65% of Indians live in rural areas. About 50% of the population does not have electricity, and hence do not own a personal TV. However, two-thirds of India's population of 1.2 bn listen regularly to the radio. PM Modi wants to communicate his vision of a modern India and the part that the people could take in this development, as the state cannot achieve everything on its own, through radio. Modi understands that he can reach out to far more people through radio than TV to mobilise support of his vision of change in India. His speeches are translated in 24 local languages for radio. Modi who is charismatic and a great orator wishes to connect directly with the people, rather than use newspaper and TV interviews to convey his messages to the nation. His radio talks have included "Munn ki Baat" which in Hindi means "Talking from the heart". He encourages people to keep the country clean so as to boost tourism, buy locally produced hand spun cloth like Mahatma Gandhi did and to help people with special needs. Tech savvy Modi, 64, also uses Facebook and Twitter where he has over 6 million followers. And thus bypass traditional media to convey his messages directly.

David Fuller's view

Here is the India Report.

Prime Minister Modi is still developing his nationwide powerbase within India, which will include more Upper House elections in 2016.  Simultaneously, he is building bridges with many countries from Japan to China and the USA, which will encourage inward investments.  One of his biggest assets in this effort is the enthusiastic support of many people of Indian origin who live throughout the world.