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

Narendra Modi, India's 75-year-old prime minister, is attempting to connect with the country's youthful population – known as Gen Z – through a more casual and relatable style on Instagram. The platform, popular among young people, has seen the prime minister post more "candid" content, such as get-ready-with-me reels and selfie-style addresses to young people, whom he affectionately calls "friends".

The prime minister's Instagram presence, where he boasts over 106 million followers, was previously not a central part of the BJP's digital strategy, despite the party's reputation for excelling in digital campaigning.

The shift in Modi's social media approach came in response to youth protests that swept the nation earlier this year. These protests, led by the satirical Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), gained traction through memes, livestreams, and Instagram reels before evolving into a powerful force capable of exerting political pressure. The BJP had traditionally relied on WhatsApp groups, Facebook pages, and X accounts to disseminate its message, but younger Indians were increasingly consuming content and engaging in politics through different channels, particularly Instagram.

Young people under the age of 35 constitute more than 60% of India's population, and Gen Z is projected to form one of the largest voting blocs by the 2029 general election. To win over this demographic, the BJP has recognized the importance of reaching them on platforms like Instagram, where personal and unfiltered content can resonate more effectively than traditional political messaging.

Initially, Modi's posts on Instagram received mixed reactions from young users. Some mocked his first selfie-video reel, in which he addressed the youth protests while the demonstrations were still ongoing. However, it was a longer pause after Modi referred to "friends" that caught the attention of users, who subsequently adopted the phrase and added edits, jokes, and parodies. This trend quickly spread across Instagram, generating significant momentum and prompting the BJP to modify its messaging strategy.

While some young users have appreciated the BJP's attempts to connect with them, many remain skeptical about the timing of these outreach efforts. Ginni Malia, a 22-year-old protester, acknowledged the BJP's desire to engage with her generation but questioned the appropriateness of the platform and the content. She believes that while the videos attempt to adopt Gen Z language and formats, they fail to address the concerns that drove the protests.

The BJP's social media pages have also started incorporating memes, slang, and pop-culture references to appeal to younger audiences. However, reactions to these posts have been mixed, with many users labeling them as "cringe" or "comic content" rather than perceiving them as genuine political messaging.

In response to public criticism, the BJP has taken steps to increase the social media engagement of its cabinet ministers and appointed a new social media chief. Some analysts attribute these changes to the BJP's struggles to contain the social media narrative during the protests. While the party is not alone in its efforts to connect with younger audiences, its ability to effectively control the conversation on Instagram remains a challenge, as the platform tends to favor content that generates high engagement, such as longer watch times, replays, shares, and comments.