Described as a ¡°reluctant king¡± in his first stint as prime minister, the soft-spoken Manmohan Singh, who died on Thursday at the age of 92, was arguably one of India¡¯s most successful leaders.

Singh, the first Sikh to lead his nation, was prime minister from 2004 to 2014, serving a rare two terms. He had been undergoing care for age-related medical conditions.

He is credited with steering India to unprecedented economic growth and lifting hundreds of millions out of dire poverty.