List of Prime Ministers of India (1947-2024)

Here is the detailed list of Prime Ministers of India with their term of office. Also, you will know some of the important and interesting facts about all the Prime Ministers of India. Keep reading this article!

Since Independence in 1947, we have seen 14 prime ministers of India assuming office. According to Article 75 of the Constitution, the Indian Prime Minister wields the executive powers of the country’s government. The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are the elected members of the political party that wins the five-yearly General Elections. With complete control over the selection, disbandment, and allocation of portfolios to the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister presides over the government for its tenure, provided the majority of Lok Sabha members place their confidence in the premiership. 

In this article, we list a brief lowdown of all prime ministers of India who have led the country from the forefront for the last 75 years.

List of Prime Ministers of India: Overview

For your quick glance here are some of the important points about the Prime Ministers of India.

1. Narendra Modi is the current prime minister of India.
2. Jawaharlal Nehru is the first prime minister of india. He is also the longest serving prime minister of india.
3. Gulzarilal Nanda is the second prime minister of India. He is also the first acting PM of India.
4. Indira Gandhi is the first female Prime Minister of India.

List of Prime Ministers of India 1947 – 2024

Check the full list of Prime Ministers of India from 1947 to 2024 in the table below in chronological order.

Narendra Modi (2014 – Present)

Narendra Modi is the current prime minister of India. He assumed office after the 2014 General Elections that witnessed BJP emerging as the majority vote’s winner for the first time since 1984. The Modi government has several high points like liberalized FDI regulations, transformed taxation regimes, etc. However, the controversial demonetisation drive marks a blotch in his tenure.

Dr Manmohan Singh (2004 – 2014)

An economist and a politician, Dr Manmohan Singh became the 13th prime minister of India under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in 2004. During his premiership, steadfast economic growth manifested India as the third-largest economy in the world. Notable projects executed during his tenure are National Rural Health Mission, Unique Identification Authority, Rural Employment Guarantee scheme and Right to Information Act. Manmohan Singh returned to the office for a second term in 2009. However, the second tenure was riddled with multiple corruption charges.

Inder Kumar Gujral (1997 – 1998)

Inder Kumar Gujral replaced Deve Gowda under the United Front Coalition with support from INC to avoid mid-term elections. He is known for his Gujral Doctrine, which stresses cordial diplomatic relationships with neighboring countries without considering reciprocity.

H. D Deve Gowda (1996 – 1997)

H D Deve Gowda represented the United Front Coalition in the 1996 General Elections and formed the government with external support from the INC. However, his tenure lasted less than a year when INC withdrew its support.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1996, 1998 – 2004)

Atal Bihari Vajpayee became prime minister of India thrice: once in 1996 for a period of 13 days, again for 13 months in 1998, and finally a full term from 1999 to 2004. He was the first non-Congress premier who could complete his term in office. Steady economic growth, the emergence of India as an IT hub, multiple successful underground nuclear testing at Pokhran, the Kargil war, etc., are a few notable elements of Vajpayee’s tenure.

P. V Narasimha Rao (1991 – 1996)

Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao led the transformation from a mixed economy to a market-driven liberal one, free from the red-tapism of government licenses. He is known as Chanakya for steering economic and political legislation. Rao effectively defused the insurgency in Punjab and decisively handled terrorism in Kashmir, gave a push to the Indian nuclear program, rolled out India’s Look East Policy, and shot down the 1994 UN resolution against India.

Chandra Shekhar (1990 – 1991)

Chandra Shekhar served a brief stint as the 8th prime minister of India, heading a minority government with support from the INC amidst a bleak national economy. He resigned in March 1991 but remained in office until the General Elections in May.

Vishwanath Pratap Singh (1989 – 1999)

A seasoned politician who held key ministries under erstwhile governments, Vishwanath Pratap Singh became prime minister in 1989 under the National Front coalition government. His implementation of the Mandal commission report on the Backward Castes of India drew much flak. Later, he had to resign from the premiership in the face of a no-confidence vote at the Lok Sabha.

Rajiv Gandhi (1984 – 1989)

Rajiv Gandhi stepped in as Prime Minister after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. His premiership witnessed bureaucracy reforms and attempts to liberalise the economy. However, separatist movements in Punjab and Kashmir and the Bofors scandal rocked his office, leading to the defeat of Congress in the subsequent election.

Charan Singh  (1979 – 1980)

The fifth prime minister of India was Chaudhury Charan Singh, who attained high office for a brief period with support from Indira Gandhi. Later, he had to remain as the head of a caretaker government until the next general election as the Congress Party withdrew its support from his premiership. His political career is notable for the land reform laws he propounded.

Morarji Desai (1977 – 1979)

Morarji Desai was the first non-Congress prime minister in India and represented the newly-formed Janta Alliance. He was also the oldest prime minister to assume office and the first one to resign from the position too. His efforts to initiate peace between India and Pakistan and normalise relations with China post the Sino-India War in 1962 were noteworthy.

Indira Gandhi (1966 – 1977, 1980 – 1984)

Indira Gandhi is the only female prime minister of India to date. She held the PMO twice and is the second longest-serving Prime Minister. She strongly supported and aided in the liberation of Bangladesh. During her first tenure, she decreed the emergency rule that set numerous curbs on personal freedom. Mounting pressure from Sikh separatists marks Indira Gandhi’s second stint as prime minister resulting in her assassination in 1984.

Lal Bahadur Shastri (1964 – 1966)

A key figure in the Indian government post-independence, Lal Bahadur Shastri ascended to the role of Prime Minister after Nehru died in office. A socialist in belief, Shastri promoted the Green and White Revolutions to decimate the food shortage in India, thus effectively pushing up food grain production and establishing the National Dairy Development Board. He is well-regarded for firmly handling the 1965 territorial dispute with Pakistan.

Gulzarilal Nanda (1964, 1966)

Gulzarilal Nanda was the first and only acting premier of India who served two 13-day stints in the PMO. Both times he assumed office was to fill the gap created due to the sudden deaths of the then-serving prime ministers, Jawaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1947 – 1964)

The first prime minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, heralded our Independence with his famous speech “Tryst with Destiny” on August 15, 1947. Considered the Architect of Modern India, he continued in office until his death in 1964, earning the status of the longest-serving prime minister of India. Independent India voted for the first time in 1952, which saw Panditji returning to power.

We hope that this comprehensive Prime Minister of India list will help enhance your awareness of our leaders.

Also Read – List of Presidents in India