Six months of Modi govt: Some promises fulfilled, challenges ahead

The Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government is poised to complete six months. It is an alliance because it chooses to be one and has no coalition compulsions to speak of.

In part because the global and domestic economic environment has been extraordinarily supportive - low commodity prices and; lowest levels of inflation in nine years and record food stocks - the government in India has faced fewer challenges. But has it maximised its opportunities? Is it spending too much time congratulating itself and its Prime Minister and not thinking enough about how to restructure policy? Has it been weighed down by internal doubts and differences on future direction?

It has had many achievements as well: a partial dismantling of subsidies; movement towards a more transparent policy on natural resources; and moves to make India more inviting for foreign investors. In its foreign policy, the substance may be the continuation of past policy but the style has changed dramatically. But the government continues to struggle with collective inexperience which has tended to centralise decision-making, curbing individual initiative. The BJP fancies itself as a bold, swashbuckling government: but in some of the decisions it has taken, it has been inexplicably tentative. Many of the initiatives it had announced: more power to the states; the revamping of the Planning Commission are yet to get off the ground. (SIX MONTHS OF MODI GOVT)

Business Standard examines and evaluates six months of policy, decision-making, political management and the style of the new government. It trains the spotlight on the individuals who make the government run and identifies the six biggest ideas, achievements, strengths and weaknesses so far.