PM Modi on TIME’s ‘Most Influential People on Internet’ list

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the most influential people on the Internet, according to the TIME magazine. The magazine described the Indian leader as an “Internet star” who often uses social media to “conduct diplomacy”. The magazine also mentioned Mr Modi’s unconventional announcement on Twitter of his visit to Pakistan in 2015 while naming him among ‘The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet’ for the second year in a row in this year’s unranked list.

The list included US presidential hopeful Donald Trump, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and her husband Kayne West, author of the famous fictional Harry Potter series J K Rowling, former Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner and football star Cristiano Ronaldo.

Focusing on the second annual round-up of the most influential people on the Internet, TIME said it looked at the contenders’ global impact on social media and their overall ability to drive news. With an emphasis on Mr Modi, TIME said that India’s leader is also an “Internet star” with more than 18 million Twitter followers and over 32 million Facebook likes. The magazine also highlighted Mr Modi’s use of social media to conduct diplomacy.

Hailing Mr Modi’s creativity in using social media for governance, TIME said: “And unlike some of his contemporaries, he often uses social media to break news and conduct diplomacy. On Christmas Day, for example, Modi tweeted that he would visit the Pakistani city of Lahore to wish Nawaz Sharif, the leader of India’s chief regional rival, a happy 66th birthday.”

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