Now Reading: Modi’s foreign visits cost Rs 557.51 crore since 2021: MEA
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Modi’s foreign visits cost Rs 557.51 crore since 2021: MEA
The Centre told the Rajya Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 77 foreign visits since 2021 cost Rs 557.51 crore through July 2026. Spending reached nearly Rs 187 crore in 2025 and…
The Story in Brief
The Centre told the Rajya Sabha that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 77 foreign visits since 2021 cost Rs 557.51 crore through July 2026. Spending reached nearly Rs 187 crore in 2025 and Rs 74.58 crore in 2026 so far, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Major 2025 expenses included France at Rs 25.59 crore, Brazil at Rs 17.72 crore, the US at Rs 16.54 crore and Saudi Arabia at Rs 15.54 crore.
The government said 316 memoranda of understanding were signed during visits since July 2021. It also reported total foreign direct investment of $381.8 billion between April 2021 and December 2025. The MEA said such travel supports cooperation in trade, technology, defence, energy and investment, while CPI(M) MP V. Sivadasan called for results such as projects, jobs and actual investment to judge their value.
The Indian Opinion
Two lazy narratives deserve scrutiny: that every rupee spent abroad is waste, or that every signed MoU proves success. Neither follows from the data. Travel costs are measurable, but the government’s FDI figure covers a broad period and does not prove that visits caused it. The sensible test is delivery: how many of the 316 agreements produce projects, jobs or investment within a stated timeline?
Sources (3): telanganatoday.com, thehindu.com, newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
