University of Tehran Published jointly with Iranian World Studies Association Journal of World Sociopolitical Studies 2588-3119 Articles in Press 2025 11 08 Negotiating Indian Identity on X: Rishi Sunak’s Digital Hybridity 104538 10.22059/wsps.2025.396218.1525 EN Iman Vosooghian Ebrahimi Department of South and East Asian Studies, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Hamideh Molaei University of Tehran Journal Article 2025 05 28 This article discusses the digital performance of cultural identity by Rishi Sunak, Britain’s first Prime Minister of Indian descent, through thematic analysis of 50 strategically selected X (Twitter) posts spanning his political ascendancy (2020-2025). Employing Hall’s representation theory, the analysis reveals a deliberate curation of Indian identity privileging ceremonial multiculturalism (Diwali commemorations, UK-India diplomatic exchanges) alongside neoliberal meritocratic narratives, while systematically excluding engagement with the history of colonialism or structural inequities. The analysis particularly highlights how UK-India diplomatic exchanges became a strategic site for Mr. Sunak to perform his hybrid identity. The project then advances the framework of “controlled visibility” to elucidate the dual mechanisms of such phenomenon in digital representation: strategic self-presentation by political actors intersecting with platform governance policies. The research contributes to an emerging field at the intersection of digital politics, ethnic studies, and British political discourse by highlighting how ethnic identity can be subtly embedded or strategically leveraged in the digital sphere.