• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was officially conferred the ‘Order of St Andrew the Apostle’ award by Russian President Vladimir Putin for his contribution to fostering bilateral ties between the two countries.

• The award was announced in 2019.

• In a special ceremony in St. Andrew Hall in the Kremlin on July 9, President Putin conferred the award on PM Modi. 

• PM Modi is the first Indian leader to be conferred with this award, which was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia. 

• The ‘Order of St Andrew the Apostle’ is awarded to prominent statesmen, public figures and those working in the fields of science, culture and arts in recognition of their exceptional services in promoting prosperity and glory of Russia.

• The Order can also be awarded to foreign heads of state for outstanding services.

• The foreign awardees of the award include President of China Xi Jinping, former President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and former President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliev.

• While accepting the award, PM Modi dedicated it to the people of India and to the traditional bonds of friendship between India and Russia. 

• Modi said under President Putin's leadership, India-Russia relations have strengthened in all directions and have scaled new heights. 

Other global awards conferred on Modi

• Prime Minister Modi has been honoured by countries across the world. 

• In March 2024, PM Modi received Bhutan’s highest civilian award, the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’, making him the first foreign Head of the government to receive the honour.

• In August 2023, PM Modi was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour by Greek President Katerina. The Order of Honour was established in 1975. The head of goddess Athena is depicted on the front side of the Star. 

• In July 2023, during his visit to Paris, Modi was conferred with the highest honour of France, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, by French President Emmanuel Macron.

• In June 2023, Modi was conferred with the Order of the Nile', Egypt's highest honour, by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

• In May 2023, Governor-General of Papua New Guinea conferred the ‘Companion of the Order of Logohu’ to PM Modi for championing the cause of unity of Pacific Island countries and spearheading the cause of Global South. The recipients of the award are titled “Chief”.

• Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka also conferred the country’s highest award to Modi. ‘Companion of the Order of Fiji’ in recognition of his global leadership. Only a handful of non-Fijians have received this honour.

• In December 2020, PM Modi received the ‘Legion of Merit’ by the US government that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.

• In August 2019, Abu Dhabi crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan honoured Modi with the ‘Order of Zayed’, the UAE’s highest civilian award, in recognition of his pivotal role in building the strategic relationship between the two countries.

• In August 2019, PM Modi was conferred the prestigious ‘The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance’, the highest honour of Bahrain.

• In June 2019, PM Modi was conferred with the Maldives’ highest honour ‘Order of the Distinguished Rule of Nishan Izzuddin’. 

• In February 2019, Modi was conferred the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize for 2018 for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth. The Seoul Peace Prize was established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 24th Olympic Games held in Seoul.

• In January 2019, Modi received the first-ever Philip Kotler Presidential award for his “outstanding leadership for the nation”. Philip Kotler is a professor of marketing at Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.

• In October 2018, Modi received the Champions of the Earth award from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The Award was for Modi’s efforts to ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ - including an ambitious pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022. Launched in 2005, Champions of the Earth celebrates outstanding figures from the public and private sectors and from civil society whose actions have had a transformative positive impact on the environment.

• In February 2018, Modi was conferred the ‘Grand Collar of the State of Palestine’ by President Mahmoud Abbas, recognising his key contribution to promote relations between India and Palestine. The Grand Collar is Highest order given to foreign dignitaries — Kings, Heads of State and persons of similar rank.

• In June 2016, Modi was conferred with Amir Amanullah Khan Award, Afghanistan’s highest civilian honour by President Ashraf Ghani after the inauguration of the landmark Afghan-India Friendship Dam in Herat. The award is named after the Afghan national hero, Amanullah Khan (Ghazi), who championed the cause of Afghanistan’s freedom.

• In April 2016, Saudi Arabia conferred Modi with its highest civilian honour - The Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud. The award is named after Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of the modern Saudi state.

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