First swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi

All SAARC heads of government attended. The ceremony was the first swearing-in of an Indian Prime Minister where all SAARC heads were invited.[11] After the ceremony, Modi described this new government's first major initiative in foreign policy as the "right decision at the right time".[12]

(L-R) President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam.

•  Afghanistan – President Hamid Karzai accepted the invitation to attend the ceremony.[13] He is bound to leave the office post the ongoing presidential elections. But his acceptance was seen as Afghanistan's interest in working with India in future. Media also noted that his either successors Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani are pro-India.[14]
•  Bangladesh - Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, the speaker of Jatiyo Sangshad, (the House of the Nation) accepted the invitation on behalf of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as Hasina had a pre-planned visit to Japan.[15]
•  Bhutan - Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay attended the ceremony and planned to have a discussion on bilateral relations of the two countries on 27 May.[16]
•  Maldives - Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom attended the ceremony.[17]
•  Mauritius - Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam attended the ceremony.[18]
•    Nepal - Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala accepted the invitation.[19]
•  Pakistan - Indian politicians reacted strongly after Nawaz Sharif accepted the invitation to the swearing-in ceremony on May 24.[20] National Conference's (NC) Omar Abdullah was glad that the Pakistan PM had accepted the invitation to Modi's swearing-in. He said that this would mark a new beginning in Indo-Pakistani ties.[21] Key National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Shiv Sena, which has been vocal against Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in India, came out opposing the invitation to the Pakistan Prime Minister.[22] Pakistani journalists and politicians however had mixed views on Sharif accepting the invitation.[23]
•  Sri Lanka - President Mahinda Rajapaksa's invitation and attendance to the ceremony came under heavy criticism amongst Tamil Nadu politicians.[24] The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and NDA ally Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leaders had spoken against the Modi government's decision to invite the Sri Lankan president.[25] MDMK chief Vaiko met Modi to try to change his mind about the invitation while the Congress leaders were one with the MDMK and the AIADMK opposing the invitation.[26] Amid strong opposition from all quarters, CPI(M) on Sunday said the centre should utilise this occasion for resolving the Lankan Tamils issue.[27] A Tamil students group called Delhi Tamil Youth Forum staged a protest in the streets of Delhi on Sunday to register their anger.[28] Due to Modi's goodwill and peaceful approach, Indian fishermen were released by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pakistan released 151 fishermen on 25 May from the Malir jail in Karachi and Nara jail in Hyderabad in Sindh province. Modi welcomed this move of both the nations.[29]

The prime minister of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, Lobsang Sangay, attended the ceremony. The Chinese government opposed the invitation to the Tibetan leader.[30]

Outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Presidents A. P. J. Abdul Kalam and Pratibha Patil, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Congress president Sonia Gandhi were among those who participated.[31] Chief Ministers of all states in India were invited to attend the event. Among them, the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah (INC) and Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy (INC) could not attend the ceremony due to their prior engagements though they gave their best wishes.[32] The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, J. Jayalalithaa (AIADMK), whose party had won the third highest number of seats in the election also declined to attend the event, while the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Bannerjee (AITC), decided to send Mukul Roy and Amit Mitra to attend.[33] Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan of the BJP and his entire cabinet had hired an aircraft to attend the swearing in and return to Bhopal the same night.[34]

Celebrities who were invited to the event included Salman Khan, Dharmendra, Anupam Kher, Madhur Bhandarkar, Suresh Gopi, Vivek Oberoi, Lata Mangeshkar, Rajnikanth and Amitabh Bachchan.[35]

Kiran Mahida, a tea vendor from Vadodara who had proposed Modi's candidacy, was also invited to attend the ceremony.[36]

Ravi Raushan want to make it a special day for the people."[37] Diwali like celebrations were done in Shimla to mark the "end of ten years of Congress rule".[38] Similar celebrations have been planned in Gujarat, the home state of Modi. The Southern Gujarat Hotel and Restaurant Association (SHRA) announced a list of 48 restaurants and fast food joints across Surat that will serve free tea to people between 6- 9pm IST.[39] Vadodara, Modi's constituency called it a "Vadodara Pride Day". Along with similar celebrations, educational stationary was also distributed in Vadodara to the school children.[40] Religious worships were planned in the temples, mosques and gurudwaras of Indore, Madhya Pradesh.[41] 5,000 laddus were ordered to be distributed by the Mysore Zilla Ganigara Sangha community in Mysore, Karnataka.[42]

Celebrations were also carried out in the Times Square of New York City and other cities of United States of America by organizing "election watch parties".[43] An Indian restaurant in New Jersey also promised free methi pakodas if Modi won the elections.[44] Similar festivities were also seen amongst the Indians settled in Australia and Canada.[45]