Narendra Modi was sworn in as India’s 15th prime minister on Monday in an elaborate ceremony in the forecourt of the presidential palace in Delhi that featured 4,000 guests, as well as 10,000 security personnel. Modi had a remarkable rise from the provincial town of Gujarat and was long considered a political outsider. However, he won the general election in a landslide last month, carrying his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the biggest victory for an Indian party in 30 years. In addition to Bollywood celebrity guests, Modi invited South Asian world leaders, including Pakistan’s prime minister, Nawaz Sharif. It’s a move many Indians and Pakistanis hope will ease tensions between the countries. Sharif said “This is a chance to reach out to each other. Both governments have a strong mandate... This could help in turning a new page in our relations.”
