One billion voters

Narenda Modi loves to promote India's status as the largest democracy in the world, and experts agree that the country's elections are free and fair for all. Modi is now an unbackable favourite to win a third term as Prime Minister in the weeks ahead, with polls suggesting he is heading for another  victory. So why is he so sensitive to criticism, and aggressive in pursuing his detractors? In this final episode, Avani learns of the consequences of her own reporting on Modi after so many months searching for the truth.

Om Podcasten

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the most powerful people in the world. Over his ten years in power, he has transformed his nation into an emerging superpower everyone wants to do business with. But he's also created an environment where no journalist is allowed to ask him questions, and many critics are scared of voicing public dissent. As India approaches a general election in May, another Modi victory has already been assumed by most observers. There are many myths surrounding Narendra Modi's extraordinary rise from a humble tea seller, but how much do we really know about the life of this enormously influential man? There are stories of his association with a supposed paramilitary volunteer group, a secret marriage, and questions about how he has handled India's deadly religious tensions. In this seven-part series, the ABC's South Asia correspondent Avani Dias travels around India in search of answers about who Modi is and how he has shaped the world's most populous nation.