Former Norwegian minister and ex-UNEP head Erik Solheim has heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of Modi’s visit to Norway on May 18-19 as part of a five-nation tour, saying Western leaders have much to learn from the Indian leader. In an opinion piece in the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv, Solheim described Modi as “the world’s most popular politician” and urged Nordic prime ministers to listen closely when they meet him.
Solheim highlighted several reasons for his high regard. He pointed to Modi’s strong domestic approval—around 70 percent in polls—contrasting it with much lower ratings for many Nordic leaders. He underlined Modi’s rise from humble origins, noting Modi’s parents ran tea stalls in Vadnagar, and said Modi’s personal story and ties to the Hindu nationalist movement are central to his political appeal.
Economically, Solheim applauded India’s recent performance. He noted India’s GDP growth of roughly seven percent, higher than China’s at present, and argued that sustained growth could make India the world’s second-largest economy by 2050. At the same time, he acknowledged persistent challenges: uneven development across states, wide income gaps, shortages of highly educated workers compared with China, remaining bureaucracy, and a weak global export footprint.
A major theme of Solheim’s column is Modi’s emphasis on green growth. He described the prime minister as a guarantor of sustainable development, praising India’s rapid expansion of renewable energy and major infrastructure projects. Solheim said he has observed signs of development across many Indian states—new airports, upgraded roads reaching remote areas, the large solar park under construction in Gujarat, and integrated solar-wind-hydropower projects in Andhra Pradesh. He suggested India could soon surpass the United States in solar and wind generation if current trends continue.
Solheim framed Modi’s climate messaging as pragmatic: promoting development through sustainability rather than asking citizens to sacrifice prosperity. He called this approach an important lesson for Western leaders who, he argued, could learn from India’s combination of economic growth and ambitious renewable-energy deployment.
On politics and social issues, Solheim acknowledged criticism of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its association with Hindu nationalism. He wrote that while the BJP aims to unify Hindus politically, there is little evidence that communal violence between Hindus and Muslims has increased under BJP rule, and he noted that periods of greater violence occurred under previous Congress governments. Nevertheless, he warned that the real test for India’s future will be ensuring that its Muslim minority is included in a rising, modern India.
Solheim placed India’s political evolution in a broader global context, arguing that many non-Western countries face the challenge of modernizing without losing cultural identity. He pointed to Japan, Korea and China as examples of nations that anchored modernization in local traditions, and suggested Hindu nationalism serves a similar function for India.
In sum, Solheim’s column portrays Modi as a popular, transformative leader whose blend of economic reform, infrastructure development and green-energy ambition offers lessons for Western policymakers—while also recognizing the social and institutional hurdles India must still overcome.
