Modi spent years building his strong image - why is he making Gen Z reels now?

Narendra Modi, India's Prime Minister, is attempting to connect with India's Gen Z, a demographic that may not view him favorably, by adopting a more casual online persona. The 75-year-old leader, known for his carefully crafted strongman image through formal speeches and appearances, has recently embraced a more informal style on Instagram, a platform popular with young people.

Modi's Instagram feed, which previously featured meticulously curated posts, now includes "candid" content such as a "get-ready-with-me" reel and selfie-style addresses to young people, whom he refers to as "friends." In one video, he even used a Gen Z phrase, stating, "first in my bloodline, external to build a rocket, a chip and a drone" during a graduation ceremony in Delhi.

With over 106 million Instagram followers, Modi is one of the most-followed political leaders on the platform. However, the tone of his communication on Instagram was not a primary focus of his team or the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) social media strategy, despite the party's reputation for mastering digital campaigns, which contributed to their 2014 election victory.

This shift in strategy followed youth protests in India earlier this year. The movement, spearheaded by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), gained traction through memes, livestreams, and Instagram reels, eventually leading to the resignation of a federal minister. The CJP, which started as a joke, surprised the BJP with its ability to translate online engagement into real-world mobilization and political pressure.

For over a decade, the Hindu nationalist party has built a formidable online political presence using WhatsApp groups, Facebook pages, and X accounts to disseminate its message, according to author and commentator Anurag Minus Verma. However, young Indians consume content and politics differently.

More than 60% of India's population is under 35, and Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) is projected to become one of the country's largest voting blocs by the 2029 general election. Engaging this demographic requires reaching them on platforms like Instagram, where personal and unfiltered content often resonates more than traditional political messaging.

The initial reception to Modi's Instagram posts highlighted this shift. Young users responded with sarcasm, particularly mocking his first selfie-video reel, in which he addressed the ongoing youth protests. A prolonged pause after Modi said "friends" became a trending meme, with users adding edits and jokes, and criticizing the video's lighting and camera angles. This protest, widely shared on Instagram, ultimately contributed to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

In subsequent posts, Modi's team appeared to address some of this criticism by experimenting with different camera angles, backdrops, and lighting. While some young users appreciated the outreach, many remained skeptical about its timing. Ginni Malia, 22, acknowledged the BJP's desire to connect with her age group but questioned "the timing of this sudden increased engagement." She noted that while the videos adopted Gen Z language and formats, they failed to address the concerns that fueled the protests.

Beyond Modi's account, BJP social media pages have also begun incorporating memes, slang, and pop-culture references to engage younger audiences. Shortly after the protests concluded, the BJP posted a gym-themed reel featuring young people and an older trainer discouraging participation in protests. However, many comments and shares labeled the video as "cringe." Another BJP video used the "Friends" sitcom title track with the caption, "PM Modi is there for you," a reference popular with millennials but largely unfamiliar to Gen Z. Malia stated that her peers view these videos as "comic content" rather than political messaging.

Reports suggest the BJP is aware that its attempts to reach younger audiences have not been entirely successful. During the protests, Modi reportedly instructed his cabinet ministers to increase their social media engagement and outreach to youth. Federal ministers recently received "report cards" on their social media performance and were urged to enhance their presence across platforms, as reported by the Hindustan Times. The party also replaced its social media chief, Amit Malviya, who had held the position since 2015, possibly due to online criticism directed at the BJP during the protests and their inability to control the social media narrative.

The BJP is not alone in its efforts to connect with younger audiences. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who frequently posts selfie-style videos and candid pictures on Instagram, also held an Instagram "Ask Me Anything" session after the protests, offering playful responses such as "have you seen me and Batman in the same room together?" Young users emphasize that listening to their concerns, rather than chasing trends, is most important to them.

However, gaining attention on Instagram is distinct from controlling the conversation. Joyojeet Pal, who teaches the political use of social media at the University of Michigan, noted that the BJP has historically relied on a network of supporters on X and WhatsApp to amplify messages and shape narratives, but this approach is less effective on Instagram. The platform prioritizes content that generates higher engagement, such as longer watch times, replays, shares, and comments.

"It is not too difficult to find a reel which has 10 million views posted from an account that has 200 followers, while some posted by people with a huge base might do only a few thousand," Pal explained. "This is a challenge for the BJP because its strategy was built for a network-centric internet, while today's platforms are far more affect-centric."

Another challenge for the BJP is the potential loss of control over content once it's posted. Modi's first reel, viewed over 400 million times, exemplifies this. While it attracted a large audience, Verma observed that young people reshared it with sarcastic and mocking edits, altering its intended tone. For the BJP, accepting this dynamic could be difficult. "Instagram is fundamentally a platform built around irony," Verma stated. "Serious political messaging, packaged as reels, can still be trolled."

Experts caution against overemphasizing the BJP's efforts to win over Gen Z, asserting that the party's electoral success relies more on its organizational strength and loyal support base than on its Instagram content performance. "It's important to distinguish between the ability to win an election and to win a social-media narrative," Pal said. "The BJP is absolutely capable of sweeping elections even if every Gen Z person hates it on social media."

Currently, the party, like many in India's political landscape, is navigating unfamiliar territory. However, Pal suggests it wouldn't be surprising if the BJP eventually adapts. The party has a history of embracing new forms of political communication, from early adoption of social media for campaigning to incorporating podcasts and influencer interviews. "But it will take time, and the fact that we are seeing this problem now means that they will have to learn a new set of rules," he added.