Indian Prime Minister Modi Takes On Bear Grylls’ ‘Man vs. Wild’

(Bloomberg) -- The head of the world’s biggest democracy apparently has more than just jobs and a rapidly weakening Indian economy on his mind.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to appear in a documentary to raise awareness about wildlife conservation. The 68-year-old leader today appeared in the promotional material for Bear Grylls’ Man Vs Wild program on Discovery Channel.

“You’re the most important man in India, my job is to keep you alive," Grylls tells Modi in the clip he tweeted today. The clip shows Modi accompanying Grylls on a dinghy ride down a river. The tweet about the show coincides with Modi’s announcement today that India has more than doubled its tiger population to 2,967 tigers in the last 12 years.

Modi’s office didn’t immediately respond to questions about the television program.

He’s not the first politician to go into the wilderness with Grylls -- then-U.S. president Barack Obama traveled through a remote part of Alaska in 2015 with the adventurer to promote action on climate change.

The program comes as India struggles with its highest jobless rate in 45 years, a slowing economy and a widening fiscal deficit.

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