Rs 762 Crore Spent on PM Narendra Modi’s Foreign Visits in 10 Years, Government Informs Lok Sabha !
Government tells Lok Sabha Rs 762 crore was spent on PM Modi’s foreign visits between 2015 and 2025, citing expanded global diplomacy.
PRIME VISTA NEWS
The Union government has spent approximately Rs 762 crore on official foreign visits undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi between 2015 and 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Friday.
The disclosure provides a decade-long overview of overseas travel expenditure and reflects the scale of India’s diplomatic engagement during the period. The data includes year-wise spending details and information on the size of delegations accompanying the Prime Minister on international tours.
Annual Spending Shows Wide Variation
According to the MEA, expenditure fluctuated significantly across the ten-year period, shaped by global events, diplomatic priorities, and the number of countries covered in each tour.
Foreign visits were sharply curtailed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions. Spending during that year fell considerably as most high-level diplomatic engagements shifted to virtual platforms.
Travel resumed gradually in 2021 and gained pace in subsequent years. From 2024 onward, annual expenditure crossed Rs 100 crore, reaching its highest level in 2025, when spending exceeded Rs 175 crore. Officials attributed the rise to multiple long-haul, multi-nation visits and participation in major international summits.
The government indicated that the increase corresponds with a broader expansion of India’s diplomatic footprint across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and East Asia.
What the Expenditure Covers
The MEA clarified that during official visits, the Prime Minister is treated as a guest of the host country. Under diplomatic norms, host nations typically bear a significant portion of hospitality-related costs, including accommodation, local transport, and ceremonial arrangements.
India’s expenditure primarily relates to:
- Air travel and logistics for the official delegation
- Security arrangements, including advance security teams
- Costs associated with the media contingent
- Operational and logistical support during the visit
The ministry emphasised that the Rs 762 crore figure does not represent the full value of each tour, as several expenses are absorbed by host governments.
Delegation Size Depends on Visit Scope
The size of official delegations has varied depending on the nature of engagements. Since May 2014, delegations have generally ranged between 27 and 72 officials.
However, there have been exceptions. A five-country tour in 2025 involved a delegation of 95 officials, reflecting the complexity of back-to-back engagements across multiple destinations.
Officials explained that delegation size is determined by factors such as the number of agreements under discussion, security requirements, bilateral meetings, and participation in business or strategic dialogues.
Post-Pandemic Diplomatic Push
The rise in spending after 2021 aligns with India’s intensified diplomatic outreach following the pandemic. The Prime Minister has participated in bilateral summits, multilateral forums, diaspora engagements, and strategic partnership meetings during this period.
The MEA noted that multi-country tours are often designed to optimise time and resources, with several engagements scheduled within a single itinerary.
As India’s global role expands, officials have described such visits as instruments of diplomacy rather than standalone ceremonial events.
Comparison With Earlier Visits
In its reply, the government also provided select expenditure figures for overseas visits undertaken by previous prime ministers, cautioning that the numbers are not adjusted for inflation or currency fluctuations.
Among the cited examples:
- A United States visit in 2011 cost Rs 10.74 crore
- A Russia visit in 2013 cost Rs 9.95 crore
- A France visit in 2011 cost Rs 8.33 crore
- A Germany visit in 2013 cost Rs 6.02 crore
Officials noted that comparisons across time periods should account for changes in global travel costs, enhanced security protocols, and the broader scope of diplomatic engagements.
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Parliamentary Oversight and Transparency
The disclosure comes in response to parliamentary scrutiny of government expenditure. The MEA reiterated that all foreign visits are conducted under established financial and diplomatic norms.
While the total expenditure has drawn attention due to its scale, officials maintain that international engagements remain central to advancing India’s strategic, economic, and geopolitical interests.
With global diplomacy increasingly shaped by summit-level interactions and multi-lateral coordination, overseas visits continue to form a key part of India’s external engagement strategy.
