On the morning of December 23, 2007, as Narendra Modi celebrated his second triumph in Gujarat, the street outside the BJP’s Ahmedabad office overflowed with delirious supporters wearing the now ubiquitous Modi masks. As the masked men pranced before the TV cameras in a surreal celebration of Moditva, the obvious question was — when would the masks travel to Delhi?

In an era of coalition politics, Modi’s biggest problem has been the stain of the 2002 Gujarat riots. Ever since that violence, Modi has been the great political untouchable, even those among the BJP’s allies who admire his developmental record, shy away from political association with him. The ominous shadow of the riots, though, seems to be melting away now. In that sense, Ratan Tata’s public certificate to the Gujarat Chief Minister last week was hugely significant. Mauled by Mamata Bannerjee, the scion of India’s most philanthropic business house did more than just roll the Nano into Gujarat. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Modi, he made it a point to mention that the pact “on the seventh anniversary of the chief minister’s leadership makes it a special occasion” for him. This was more than business as usual. At one level, it points to Modi’s grand success in courting big business. The wooing of Tata began with a personal SMS from the chief minister —”Welcome to Gujarat” — as soon as the Singur problems started. At a deeper level though, Tata’s approval of Modi’s rule reflects the mainstreaming of Brand Modi.

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