🇮🇳 India
Federal parliamentary republicElectoral autocracy
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister · 4,480 days in office · 1,012 days remaining
How the political system works in India
Indians vote at least every five years for the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. The party or coalition with a majority picks the prime minister, who runs the government. There is no limit on how many terms a prime minister can serve. India also has a president, whose role is mostly ceremonial.
Next election: 2029 — Next Indian general election, expected April–May 2029.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Jawaharlal Nehru
6,130 days
Shortest-serving
Gulzarilal Nanda
26 days
Average tenure
1,435 days
Narendra Modi: 212% above average
Recent prime ministers by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in India?
Across 17 completed terms, the average prime minister of India has served 1,435 days (about 3.9 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 1,316 days.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All prime ministers of India
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 |  Narendra Modi | May 26, 2014 | Incumbent | 4,480 |
| 17 |  Manmohan Singh | May 22, 2004 | May 26, 2014 | 3,656 |
| 16 |  Atal Bihari Vajpayee | Mar 19, 1998 | May 19, 2004 | 2,253 |
| 15 |  Inder Kumar Gujral | Apr 21, 1997 | Mar 19, 1998 | 332 |
| 14 |  H. D. Deve Gowda | Jun 1, 1996 | Apr 21, 1997 | 324 |
| 13 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | May 16, 1996 | Jun 1, 1996 | 16 |
| 12 |  P. V. Narasimha Rao | Jun 21, 1991 | May 16, 1996 | 1,791 |
| 11 |  Chandra Shekhar | Nov 10, 1990 | Jun 21, 1991 | 223 |
| 10 |  V. P. Singh | Dec 2, 1989 | Nov 10, 1990 | 343 |
| 9 |  Rajiv Gandhi | Oct 31, 1984 | Dec 2, 1989 | 1,858 |
| 8 |  Indira Gandhi | Jan 14, 1980 | Oct 31, 1984 | 1,752 |
| 7 |  Charan Singh | Jul 28, 1979 | Jan 14, 1980 | 170 |
| 6 |  Morarji Desai | Mar 24, 1977 | Jul 28, 1979 | 856 |
| 5 | Indira Gandhi | Jan 24, 1966 | Mar 24, 1977 | 4,077 |
| 4 |  Gulzarilal Nanda | Jan 11, 1966 | Jan 24, 1966 | 13 |
| 3 |  Lal Bahadur Shastri | Jun 9, 1964 | Jan 11, 1966 | 581 |
| 2 | Gulzarilal Nanda | May 27, 1964 | Jun 9, 1964 | 13 |
| 1 |  Jawaharlal Nehru | Aug 15, 1947 | May 27, 1964 | 6,130 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the Prime Minister of India?
- Narendra Modi has been Prime Minister of India since May 26, 2014.
- How is the leader of India chosen?
- Indians vote at least every five years for the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. The party or coalition with a majority picks the prime minister, who runs the government. There is no limit on how many terms a prime minister can serve. India also has a president, whose role is mostly ceremonial.
- Who is the longest-serving Prime Minister of India?
- Jawaharlal Nehru, with 6,130 days in office.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in India?
- Across 17 completed terms, the average prime minister of India has served 1,435 days (about 3.9 years). That has stayed fairly steady: the last five completed terms averaged 1,316 days.