India's gift to the world: How PM Modi turned Yoga into a global movement

In 2014, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, he proposed the idea of dedicating a day to yoga. In a remarkable show of global consensus, 177 countries co-sponsored the resolution, and June 21 -- marking the summer solstice -- was officially recognised as International Yoga Day.

It has since come to symbolise health, harmony, and unity, deeply rooted in Indian heritage. Swami Dr. Bharat Bhushan, Padma Shri awardee and renowned yoga guru, recalls the significance of Prime Minister Modi’s initiative with reverence on X handle of ‘Modi Story'.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first national leader to treat yoga not just as a practice,” he says, “but as a transformative force -- a way to connect people across cultures, continents, and convictions".

For Swami Bhushan, Prime Minister Modi’s embrace of yoga transcended ceremonial symbolism. It signalled a deeper commitment to positioning yoga as a bridge between traditions and a common ground for humanity.

Swami Bhushan narrates his personal encounter with the Prime Minister: “I know Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a fellow practitioner of yoga – a Yogi; the world knows him as the Prime Minister. When he first visited Saharanpur, he expressed a desire to meet me -- an act that spoke volumes of his humility. He is the first Prime Minister who truly recognises that India is not merely the land of yoga, but its very soul.”

He continues: “India has never pursued expansionism in the conventional sense. Our influence flows not through conquest, but through culture. We believe in ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam -- ‘the world is one family’ -- and in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas. This, too, is yoga: the collective progress of all.”

The Prime Minister’s message at their first meeting left a lasting impression. “Swamiji, we must elevate yoga to its rightful place,” he told me.

“That one sentence revealed the depth of his vision.”

When the first International Yoga Day was celebrated, Prime Minister Modi’s message was unmistakable: “True power lies not in arms or warfare, but in winning hearts.”

Yoga, under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, has flourished far beyond health and fitness routines.

“Today,” Swami Bhushan notes, “it is practised by students, soldiers, police officers, professionals, and industrialists alike.” Crucially, Prime Minister Modi has strived to frame yoga as a secular practice. “He once remarked,” says the guru, “‘Diabetes is secular, heart disease is secular, stress is secular -- so too must be the remedy.’”

The journey of International Yoga Day has matured into a global movement with philosophical depth. Last year, Prime Minister Modi proposed December 21 as International Meditation Day, seeking to expand the world’s understanding of the inner dimensions of yoga. As Swami Bhushan affirms: “Such is the conviction and clarity of a leader who walks the path of a yogi.”

From the footpaths of Saharanpur to the halls of the United Nations, yoga has become India’s offering of peace and balance to a divided world—led by a leader who not only believes in its power, but lives by its principles.