Madame Tussauds to unveil Narendra Modi wax statue in April

Mr Modi was involved in the creation of his wax likeness and gave artists a sitting at his residence in Delhi

Madame Tussauds has said it will unveil a waxwork of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April.

The statue, featuring Mr Modi in a traditional Indian greeting with folded hands, will go on display in London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

The prime minister was involved in the creation of his wax likeness and gave artists a sitting at his home in Delhi.

Mr Modi has a "massive social media presence" and there is "intense public interest" in him, the company said.

His Twitter following is second only to that of US President Barack Obama and he is well known for taking "selfies" with other world leaders, celebrities and supporters.

Madame Tussauds said that the statue would allow guests to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Mr Modi and even grab a selfie with him.

"Madame Tussauds has crafted figures of very distinguished dignitaries from around the world - how could I regard myself worthy of being alongside them? But when I was informed that your decision had emanated from public opinion and public sentiment, I was comforted," Mr Modi said in a statement.

"I have visited Madame Tussauds three or four times and had the pleasure of getting myself photographed standing next to the figures of various dignitaries," he added.

The museum has featured other political figures from India, including wax-works of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.

Bollywood celebrities were introduced in 2000, after hundreds of comments from visitors requesting that stars from the world's most prolific film industry be portrayed.