Narendra Modi Becomes Indian PM With Most International Honours

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the most internationally decorated Indian PM in office. During his recent visit to Cyprus, he was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III - the nation's highest civilian honour.

After accepting the honour on June 16, PM Modi shared on X (formerly Twitter), "Humbled to receive the 'Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III' of Cyprus. I dedicate it to the friendship between our nations."

Humbled to receive the 'Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III' of Cyprus. I dedicate it to the friendship between our nations. https://t.co/x4MX3UZbtW

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 16, 2025

The Cyprus visit was part of his three-nation tour, with his next stop being Canada for the G7 Summit and then Croatia.

The latest award from Cyprus takes PM Modi's tally to 28 international honours received from foreign governments during his tenure, a record unmatched by any of his predecessors. The awards acknowledge his leadership and efforts in strengthening bilateral and multilateral ties globally.

Former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh were each recipients of two such international distinctions during their time in office.

Over the years, PM Modi has been honoured by countries across regions - from the Middle East to Europe and Africa. Among the notable recognitions are the Order of King Abdulaziz from Saudi Arabia and the Order of Amanullah Khan from Afghanistan, both conferred in 2016. In 2018, he received the Order of the State of Palestine, followed by the Order of the Distinguished Rule of Izzuddin from the Maldives in 2019 and the King Hamad Order of the Renaissance from Bahrain later that year.

In 2023, he was honoured with Egypt's Order of the Nile and France's Legion d'Honneur. The momentum continued into 2024 when he received six international awards. So far, in 2025, he has received three honours. 

His ongoing three-nation visit is PM Modi's first since Operation Sindoor in May when India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the deadly April 22 Pahalgam attack. The four-day conflict ended on May 10 following a ceasefire.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Cyprus is the first by an Indian leader in over two decades. It comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan. The visit also carries weight given Cyprus's uneasy ties with Turkey - a country that, along with China, backed Pakistan during the recent hostilities with India.