India’s former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who steered the country through sweeping reforms and paved the way for its emergence as a global economic powerhouse, has died. He was 92.
Singh was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi for emergency treatment on Thursday after “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement, adding that he had been undergoing care for age-related medical conditions.
Despite emergency efforts, he was declared dead on Thursday night, the hospital said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India was mourning Singh’s passing, calling him one of the country’s “most distinguished leaders.”
“As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi wrote on X on Thursday.
Known for wearing his trademark blue turban, Singh was India’s first prime minister from the Sikh minority. He led the country from 2004 to 2014, completing a rare two full terms in the world’s largest – and often tumultuous – democracy.
An Oxford-trained economist, he was widely credited as the architect of far-reaching reforms that opened up India’s economy, propelling years of unprecedented growth and lifting tens of millions of people out of poverty.
He also oversaw a new era of warming relations between India and the United States, marked by the signing of a historic nuclear-energy deal between the two countries in 2008.
Washington offered its condolences following Singh’s death. In a statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Singh “one of the greatest champions of the US-India strategic partnership.”
“We mourn Dr. Singh’s passing and will always remember his dedication to bringing the United States and India closer together,” Blinken said.
