If you’re here for the straight answer first: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s declared personal net worth—based on formal disclosures and election affidavits—sits at roughly ₹3.0–3.1 crore (about US$450,000–$480,000) as of 2024–2025 filings. The largest chunk is held in fixed deposits with the State Bank of India, he declares no privately owned house, land, or car, and he lists a small quantity of gold jewelry along with modest balances in savings. These figures come from his 2024 election affidavit and the government disclosures referenced widely in Indian media. That headline number often surprises readers, especially when they compare it (incorrectly) to the mammoth revenues and valuations you hear in Indian business news. The crucial distinction is between a public servant’s personal assets and the economic scale of the country or its corporations. Narendra Modi’s wealth disclosures are personal, audited, and bound by Indian election law; they are not a proxy for state or party finances, nor do they include government-provided residences and transport that are not personally owned.
Below is a deep, practical guide to what goes into that figure, how it’s reported, why it changes slowly, and how it compares with other public figures’ wealth.
How “Net Worth” Works for Elected Leaders in India
When you read about politician wealth in India, you’re reading declared assets and liabilities filed through:
- Election affidavits (whenever a candidate contests a seat), and
- Periodic asset disclosures as required for certain offices.
These documents list movable assets (cash, bank deposits, fixed deposits, bonds, jewelry, vehicles, etc.) and immovable assets (land and buildings), along with liabilities like loans. Valuations are typically as-of a date close to filing. That means you’re seeing a snapshot—useful for transparency and comparison across time—but not a real-time ticker that moves with the market every day.
For Narendra Modi, the most recent high-visibility filing is his 2024 Lok Sabha election affidavit, which itemizes the components summarized below. Media outlets cross-reference those filings with past disclosures to show how his assets have evolved over time.
A Simple Breakdown of Narendra Modi’s Declared Assets
1) Fixed Deposits and Bank Balances
The core of the Prime Minister’s wealth sits in fixed deposits with the State Bank of India, totalling around ₹2.85 crore at the time of the 2024 affidavit. In addition, he reports modest savings account balances. Fixed deposits are conservative, interest-bearing instruments—precisely the kind of low-risk holdings you expect from a public servant’s disclosure.
2) Cash and Small Movable Assets
Disclosures record very small cash-in-hand amounts (usually in the tens of thousands of rupees) and a few personal items. The 2024 filing again showed minimal cash holdings; earlier documents have listed a similarly small figure—consistent with a preference for deposits rather than cash.
3) Gold Jewelry
A modest set of gold rings—roughly 45 grams—is listed, valued at a few lakhs at the time of filing. In Indian reporting, the valuation is noted explicitly because gold pricing fluctuates; the weight is a more stable reference.
4) No House, Land, or Car in His Name
One of the most reported—and frequently debated—details in the Prime Minister’s filings is that he lists no privately owned house, land, or vehicle. Earlier, he had a fractional stake in immovable property which, according to disclosures, was donated and no longer appears as a personal holding. The 2024 affidavit reiterates that no house, no land, and no car are owned personally.
5) Other Financial Instruments
Over the years, filings have occasionally listed National Savings Certificates, small insurance policies, or similar instruments. These items are minor relative to the fixed deposits and typically appear as small line items in affidavits or periodic asset statements. (The Prime Minister’s Office has previously posted PDF statements that read in this format and style.
Why This Number Is Smaller Than You Might Expect
Public Office vs. Private Enterprise
India’s top business families and founders sit on equity stakes in massive companies; the market value of those stakes is what drives billionaire net worths. A Prime Minister, by design, does not hold personal stakes in state assets or policy levers. Salary, savings, and interest are the dominant drivers of change in a public leader’s declared wealth—so the growth is steady, not spectacular.
Transparent Disclosures, Conservative Portfolio
Election affidavits are sworn statements. They are meant to be unambiguous and easy to audit. That often encourages conservative, traceable holdings (fixed deposits, savings accounts, small jewelry) rather than speculative investments. Modi’s portfolio reads exactly like that.
Government-Provided Residence and Transport Are Not Personal Assets
The official residence in New Delhi, staff, and security are state facilities, not personal property. While the public sees the trappings of high office, none of that is counted toward an individual’s net worth.
How Narendra Modi’s Net Worth Has Evolved Over the Last Decade
While exact year-by-year figures depend on the specific filing dates, the pattern is straightforward: steady accretion from salary and interest, plus structural changes such as the donation of prior immovable property (which moved that line item off the personal balance sheet). Media reports referencing his 2019 paperwork compared to 2022 and 2024 emphasize precisely that shift: the absence of a privately owned property and the build-up of fixed deposits.
Because fixed deposits compound and because public-sector compensation is modest, the net worth grows incrementally unless there’s a significant change (sale or donation of property, receipt of a one-time award that must be reported, etc.).
Salary, Allowances, and Why They Matter Less Than You Think
PM’s Salary
Indian outlets routinely point out that the Prime Minister’s monthly pay is modest by international standards, and is set by statute—about ₹1.6–₹1.66 lakh per month, not counting allowances and perks associated with the office. This number gets cited periodically by national media whenever salary comparisons come up.
Given that fixed deposits dominate his holdings, the interest on deposits plus salary savings are what primarily move the needle from one filing to the next. That’s one reason the declared net worth stays within a few crores rather than ballooning.
Declared Net Worth vs. “Perceived Power”: Understanding the Disparity
It’s easy to conflate political influence with personal wealth. But India’s asset disclosure regime is purposely designed to separate the two. A public figure can lead a multi-trillion-dollar economy and manage state resources without owning any of it personally. In other words, a Prime Minister is custodian of national institutions, not a shareholder in them.
This is partly why many readers do a double take at the “few-crore” figure associated with a head of government. The filings are a reminder that public office is not private equity.
What Is the Net Worth of Narendra Modi?
Below is a table with year-wise estimates of the net worth of India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Figures vary by the method and source used for the calculation.
| Year | Estimated Net Worth (₹ crore) |
|---|---|
| 2014 | ₹2.5–₹3 crore |
| 2015 | ₹2.5–₹3 crore |
| 2016 | ₹3.5 crore |
| 2017 | ₹3.5 crore |
| 2018 | ₹3.5–₹4 crore |
| 2019 | ₹3.5 crore |
| 2020 | ₹4–₹5 crore |
| 2021 | ₹5 crore |
| 2022 | ₹5 crore |
| 2023 | ₹5 crore |
| 2024 | ₹5 crore |
| 2025 | ₹5 crore |
Comparing Narendra Modi’s Net Worth With Other Public Figures (Caution Advised)
Business Leaders
Entrepreneurs like Mukesh Ambani or Gautam Adani see net worths swing with market capitalization and deal flow. Those fortunes can move billions in weeks. A Prime Minister’s declared net worth doesn’t move like that—because it’s not tied to stock holdings or private company stakes.
Other Politicians
Within Indian politics, the spread of declared assets is very wide. Many MPs and state leaders disclose real estate portfolios and business stakes. Modi’s affidavits generally place him toward the lower end of that range in terms of personal assets, especially in the absence of privately held property and vehicles. (Different leaders file on different dates and with different asset mixes; caution is wise when you compare single-year snapshots across people.)
Global Heads of Government
Some countries pay significantly higher official salaries, and some leaders arrive with prior business wealth. Variations in disclosure rules and whether spouses’/family assets are reported make cross-country comparisons tricky. The safe way to think about Modi’s wealth is in Indian legal and disclosure context.
Where the Number Comes From (and How to Verify It Yourself)
- Election Affidavit: When a candidate files nominations for the Lok Sabha, the affidavit lists movable and immovable assets. For 2024, Modi’s affidavit placed total assets at about ₹3.02 crore, dominated by SBI fixed deposits, with no house or car in his name. Gold jewelry of ~45g was listed at a few lakh rupees. These specific figures were widely reported by national media drawing from the affidavit.
- Prior Disclosures (Context): Earlier official documents—including PMO-hosted PDFs—show the format and nature of such declarations and confirmed the donation of a previously co-owned immovable property, which is why recent filings show no personal land or house.
- Salary Context: Indian media frequently reiterates that the PM’s pay is about ₹1.6–₹1.66 lakh per month, emphasizing the difference between public-service salaries and private-sector compensation.
If you wish to check in any given year, the Election Commission of India publishes affidavits around nomination time, and credible national outlets cover the headline numbers once filings are live.
Beyond the Number: What a “Few-Crore” Net Worth Signals About Public Office
Transparency and Auditability
The format of the filing—clearly listing cash, deposits, jewelry, and property—makes it easier for watchdogs and media to audit. Conservative holdings (FDs and savings) are traceable and leave a clean paper trail.
Symbolism
In many democracies, leaders maintain modest personal portfolios while in office to avoid conflicts and to keep governance focused on policy, not personal gain. Whether one agrees or disagrees with a leader’s politics, modest disclosures circulate as a symbolic point about personal lifestyle choices.
Public Image and Communications
Political figures increasingly use digital outreach to shape transparency narratives: routine updates, behind-the-scenes posts, or explainers about government policy. If you’re studying how institutions present themselves online, a useful comparative resource on brand-quality social feeds is Best Company Instagram Accounts—handy when you analyze how public entities emulate the content discipline of leading consumer brands.
How Narendra Modi’s Net Worth Compares to Indian Business Tycoons and Celebrities
It’s an apples-to-oranges comparison, but it’s the one readers often make. Billionaires like Mukesh Ambani or Gautam Adani own large stakes in companies; their net worth is equity-driven and can rise or fall by billions with market moves. Top celebrities also amass wealth from licensing, production ventures, and endorsements that dwarf any public-sector salary. By contrast, a Prime Minister’s net worth reflects salary savings, bank interest, and small personal assets. That’s why the numbers live in crores, not thousands of crores.
Common Misconceptions And the Clarifications That Matter
“He controls the economy; surely he must be worth billions.”
Control isn’t ownership. A head of government manages policy and administration, not corporate stock. Public assets don’t show up in personal filings.
“Maybe he hides wealth under someone else’s name.”
That’s a speculative claim without evidence. Indian elections are brutally contested; affidavits are scrutinized by rivals and media. If a credible discrepancy appears, it becomes headline news. In the absence of verified findings, the declared numbers are the reference.
“The residence and aircraft count as wealth.”
They don’t. These are official provisions for the office, not personal property.
“Salaries are low, but perks are huge; surely it’s the same thing.”
Perks are not personal capital; they’re operational support for officeholders (residences, security, travel) and don’t accrue to personal balance sheets.
What Could Change the Number in Future Disclosures?
- Interest Compounding on Fixed Deposits
This quietly increases the FD line each year. - Asset Rebalancing
Moving funds between savings, FDs, or small instruments changes the mix but not necessarily the total. - One-Off Adjustments
Sale of a small asset or a donation (as with the earlier immovable property) would move specific lines up or down. - Salary/Allowance Rules
If statutory changes adjust the PM’s compensation (as sometimes discussed in Parliament or the press), that could alter savings trajectories modestly over a term. (Media periodically reiterates the current ballpark monthly pay around ₹1.6–₹1.66 lakh.)
How to Read an Affidavit Without Getting Lost
When you open a candidate’s filing:
- Movable assets are listed first: cash, bank accounts, FDs, bonds, jewelry, vehicles.
- Immovable assets are next: land and buildings, with details about location, area, and share.
- Liabilities: outstanding loans or obligations (if any).
- Spouse/Dependents: many forms include separate columns for each.
For Narendra Modi, the movable column is where almost everything shows up—dominated by FDs—and immovable is currently nil (as of the 2024 affidavit).
Contextualizing the Number: Wealth, Office, and Public Trust
In mature democracies, the value of these filings is not the number itself but the trust that disclosure builds. Regardless of political persuasion, voters rely on:
- Consistency (figures that make sense year to year),
- Clarity (plain categories: deposits, gold, property), and
- Accessibility (documents posted publicly and summarized by accountable media).
Modi’s filings—FD-heavy, cash-light, property-free—tell a simple story: a leader with conservative personal finances that change slowly.
Quick Reference: Narendra Modi’s Net Worth
Total declared assets (2024 affidavit): ~₹3.02 crore.
- Composition: ~₹2.85 crore in SBI fixed deposits; small savings balances; ~45g of gold jewelry valued at a few lakhs; no personal house, land, or car.
- Why it looks modest: Public office salary and interest on deposits, not market-linked equity.
- Salary context: ~₹1.6–₹1.66 lakh/month, as often cited by national media.
Bottom Line
Narendra Modi’s declared net worth is around ₹3.0–3.1 crore—a compact, conservative portfolio centered on fixed deposits, with no privately owned house, land, or car, and only modest jewelry in the movable assets list. For a sitting head of government, that figure underscores the separation between public office and private wealth that India’s disclosure system is designed to maintain. If you’re tracking the number, the best practice is to refer to the most recent affidavit and credible media summaries when they’re published around election time.
FAQ’s
Is Narendra Modi a billionaire?
No. His declared personal assets are in the few-crores range (roughly ₹3.0–3.1 crore), not billions.
Why doesn’t he have a personal house listed?
Earlier, he had a fractional share in a property; disclosures indicate it was donated. The latest filings show no immovable property in his name.
Does the PM travel by private jet?
He travels using official aircraft as part of the office—not personal jets. These are state assets, not personal wealth.
Does he get rich from being Prime Minister?
The position pays a modest salary by global standards; disclosures reflect conservative savings and fixed deposits growing gradually over time.
Can I see the affidavit myself?
Yes. When a candidate files nominations, the Election Commission publishes the affidavit. Major outlets then summarize key lines such as total assets, FDs, gold, and the absence of property/vehicles for broad readership.
