- By Ridam Sharma
- Wed, 17 Sep 2025 12:31 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Longest Serving PM: After gaining Independence in 1947, India has been headed by great political leaders. These political leaders have significantly shaped the future of India, and now, it is one of the largest economies in the world. The share of credit also goes to the Indian Prime Ministers, who have significantly contributed to the success of the nation of billions. Over its history, India has been guided by extraordinary PMs who have made a lasting mark on the country's development and history. Some of these prime ministers have served the longest in the Prime Minister’s office, which highlights their political abilities in India's intricate democratic system. To learn more, here is a list of the top 10 longest-serving Prime Ministers of India, along with their contribution to Indian history.
But before that, as per recent news updates, on July 25, 2025, the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, became the second-longest serving Prime Minister of India, with a total of 4,078 days of continuous tenure. He broke Indira Gandhi’s earlier record of 4,077 days. This milestone has solidified his place in Indian politics with three impressive and consecutive electoral wins. Additionally, this win also makes him the longest-serving Prime Minister of a non-Congress party and the first non-Congress member to serve two complete tenures, along with winning majority mandates in succession.
Who Is The Longest Serving Prime Minister Of India?
Jawaharlal Nehru is the longest-serving Prime Minister of India. He was a member of the Indian National Congress (INC) and served the nation of billions from 1947 to 1964. His total tenure was 16 years, 286 days.
List Of The Top 10 Longest-Serving Indian Prime Ministers And Their Total Tenures:
| No. | Prime Minister | Party | Total Tenure |
| 1 | Jawaharlal Nehru | INC | 16 years, 286 days |
| 2 | Narendra Modi | BJP | 11 years, 59 days (ongoing) |
| 3 | Indira Gandhi | INC | 15 years, 350 days |
| 4 | Manmohan Singh | INC | 10 years, 4 days |
| 5 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee | BJP | 6 years, 80 days |
| 6 | Rajiv Gandhi | INC | 5 years, 32 days |
| 7 | PV Narasimha Rao | INC | 4 years, 330 days |
| 8 | Morarji Desai | Janata Party | 2 years, 126 days |
| 9 | Lal Bahadur Shastri | INC | 1 year, 216 days |
| 10 | VP Singh | Janata Dal | 343 days |
Top 10 Longest-Serving Indian Prime Ministers:
1. Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru is the longest-serving Prime Minister of India. He was also India's first prime minister and served from 1947 to 1964. The man took the first step towards modern India. He founded major institutions, promoted secularism and social reform, which all shaped the social values of the country. He majorly contributed by leading the nation during its critical formative years. He adopted the Constitution and is significantly responsible for holding India’s first general elections.
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2. Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi is the second-longest-serving prime minister of India. He has been serving the PM's office since May 2014. The man is known for assertive foreign policy, ambitious economic reforms like GST, and digital initiatives. He has been re-elected consecutively for three terms.
Second Longest Serving PM (Image Credit: Instagram @Narendra Modi)
3. Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi is the third-longest-serving prime minister of India. She served two terms, from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 to 1984. Surprisingly, the woman was India’s only female prime minister ever. She was known for decisive actions like nationalisation, the Green Revolution, and the Emergency period. Later, she was assassinated in 1984.
4. Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh served India as the prime minister for 10 years and 4 days, from 2004 to 2014. He was the most educationally qualified PM of India. The man was popular for significant economic reforms and the major 2008 Indo-US nuclear deal.
Fourth Longest Serving PM (Image Credit: Instagram @dr.manmohansingh__)
5. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Atal Bihari Vajpayee held the prime minister’s office twice in her political career, first in 1996, serving just 16 days in tenure. Later, he again became the prime minister of India from 1998 to 2004, which was a total tenure of 6 years and 64 days. He is known till now for his pioneering infrastructure projects, improved Indo-US ties, and conducting the Pokhran nuclear tests.
6. Rajiv Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest prime minister of India, and he served the nation from 1984 to 1989 after Indira Gandhi’s assassination. The man is known to have initiated the IT and telecom revolution in India and expanded education and technology in all sectors.
7. PV Narasimha Rao
PV Narasimha Rao served as the prime minister of India from 1991 to 1996. He oversaw India’s economic liberalisation and transformed the country’s economic trajectory.
8. Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai was the first non-Congress prime minister of India and served the nation from 1977 to 1979. His tenure was all about moral and administrative reforms, and promoting peace with neighbours.
Also Read: List Of All Prime Ministers Of India (1947-2025)
9. Lal Bahadur Shastri
Lal Bahadur Shastri served the nation from 1964 to 1966 as the Prime Minister of India. He is known for his leadership during the 1965 Indo-Pak war and the popular slogan -Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.
10. VP Singh
The list of the longest-serving prime ministers of India is concluded with VP Singh, who served as the PM of India for less than a year, which was 343 days, from 1989 to 1990. The man was known for implementing the Mandal Commission Report, which expanded reservations for OBCs.
The list of India's longest-serving prime ministers is one of imagination, determination, and adaptation to the ever-evolving landscape of the nation. While Narendra Modi keeps breaking new ground, every one of these leaders has left their mark on India's history in their own way.