The pandemic has altered the destinies of not just people worldwide but of entire nations. Many developed countries despite having superior infrastructure and significant investments in public health haven’t been able to tackle the onslaught of the pandemic. It was in this backdrop that India’s ability to rise to the challenge had been written off entirely by many leading ‘experts’. Doomsday predictions were made which included mass deaths and anarchy. However, Prime Minister Modi’s robust grip on the administration changed India’s fortunes in the fight against the virus. He took absolute control of the country’s response mechanisms and streamlined systems to cut red-tape. Led by fact-based scientific advice, the Indian government galvanized their inheritance of less-than-adequate resources, augmented capacities rapidly and prudently spent its reserves on the most effective solutions. Hence, even after three waves of the pandemic, India has managed to save more lives than most countries in the world.