Watch: PM Modi talks Gujarat riots, India-Pakistan ties and more in podcast with Lex Fridman

Lex Fridman, 41, is an AI research scientist who also interviews several personalities from various walks of life in his podcast, the “Lex Fridman Podcast”. Sharing the podcast on X, Fridman called it “one of the most moving & powerful conversations and experiences” of his life.

Talking about India’s democracy in the podcast, PM Modi said, “When I shake hands with world leaders, it’s not Modi but 1.4 billion Indians doing so. My strength lies not in my name but in the backing of 1.4 billion Indians and the country’s timeless culture and heritage.”

“I welcome criticism; I have a strong belief that it is soul of democracy,” he added.

On India and Pakistan ties, PM Modi said that every attempt to foster peace with Pakistan was met with hostility and betrayal and hoped that wisdom would prevail on the leadership in Islamabad to improve bilateral ties. He said, “I invited Pakistan for my swearing-in to turn over a new leaf, but each attempt at peace was met with hostility and betrayal.”

“We sincerely hope that wisdom prevails in Pakistan and they choose the path of peace; even the people of Pakistan long for peace,” he added.

Before the release of the podcast, Fridman wrote on X, “I had an epic 3-hour podcast conversation with @narendramodi, Prime Minister of India. It was one of the most powerful conversations of my life. It’ll be out tomorrow.”

Fridman, in a post on X, shared an extensive list of topics PM Modi discussed in the podcast: “Fasting, Early life, Advice to Young People, Journey in the Himalayas, Becoming a monk, RSS and Hindu nationalism, Explaining India, Mahatma Gandhi, Path to peace in Ukraine, India and Pakistan, Cricket and Football, Donald Trump, China and Xi Jinping, Gujarat riots in 2002, Biggest democracy in the world, Power, Hard work, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Decision-making process, AI, Education, Learning and focus, Mantra, Meditation, Lex visiting India, Siddhartha.”

PM Modi, reflecting on the volatile environment leading up to the 2002 Gujarat riots in the, sought to challenge what he termed as the “misinformation” surrounding the riots, asserting that the state had witnessed frequent communal violence for decades before the tragic events of that year.

He pointed to a series of global and domestic terror incidents, including the Kandahar hijacking in 1999, the 9/11 attacks in the US, and the December 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament. According to him, these incidents had created a highly charged atmosphere, making Gujarat especially vulnerable to unrest when the Godhra train burning occurred on February 27, 2002.

PM Modi also said he shares a “bond of mutual trust” with US President Donald Trump and they connect well because they believe in putting their respective national interests above everything else. In the podcast, Modi hailed Trump as a man of courage, who took his own decisions, was unwaveringly dedicated to the US and the same spirit was on display when he was shot at by a gunman on the election campaign trail last year.

“He has a clear roadmap in his mind with well-defined steps, each one designed to lead him toward his goals,” Modi said on Trump’s second term as President. He added, “I truly believe he has put together a strong, capable group. And with such a strong team, I feel they are fully capable of implementing President Trump’s vision,” Modi said.

During his 3-hour-long interview with PM Modi, Fridman revealed that he had fasted for 45 hours, saying it was “in honour of this conversation” and “to get into the right mindset.” He also mentioned reading about the Prime Minister’s habit of fasting “for many days,” following which PM Modi expressed his gratitude for the gesture and shared his views on the practice.

From politicians to AI leaders to literary , Fridman has hosted people such as US President Donald Trump, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Argentinian Prime Minister Javier Milei, as well as leading personalities in their fields, such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, Magnus Carlson, and Yuval Noah Harari.

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