As Modi rises, so does yoga tycoon Baba Ramdev and his Patanjali empire

It is a partnership that reveals the inner workings of influence and money in Modi's India

Narendra Modi leaned to whisper in the ear of the man sitting cross-legged and barefoot next to him, the one clad in saffron robes with a long beard and squinty gaze. It was late in the afternoon of March 23, 2014 in New Delhi and the start of national elections was a fortnight away.

A few minutes later, the yoga guru and entrepreneur known as Baba Ramdev turned to a microphone and urged the crowd before him to mobilise votes for Modi: "You'll make other people understand, won't you? You won't sit at home, will you?" The crowd roared back,