New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s international travels between 2021 and July 2025 have cost the Indian exchequer close to ₹300 crore, according to official data tabled in Parliament. While these visits are seen as instrumental in bolstering India’s diplomatic and economic ties with the global community, they’ve also come with a hefty price tag.

In a written response to questions raised by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) detailed the expenditure incurred on the Prime Minister’s visits across continents — from North America and Europe to the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

In just the first four months of 2025 alone, five overseas visits by PM Modi racked up ₹67 crore in travel expenses. Among the most expensive were his February trips to France and the United States, which cost the government ₹25.6 crore and ₹16.5 crore respectively. His April tours to Thailand and Sri Lanka added another ₹9 crore to the tab, while his visit to Saudi Arabia from April 22–23 came with a bill of ₹15.5 crore.

The data shared in the Rajya Sabha also listed visits to Mauritius, Cyprus, Canada, Croatia, Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia in July 2025 — although their costs are still “under settlement” and haven’t been disclosed yet.

In 2024, Modi visited multiple nations including the UAE, Qatar, Bhutan, Italy, Austria, Russia, Poland, and Ukraine. The Italy visit alone cost over ₹14.3 crore, while the Russia tour in October came at ₹10.7 crore. His trips to Nigeria, Brazil, and Guyana in November together cost the exchequer over ₹15 crore.

In 2023, the Prime Minister made six trips to 11 countries including Japan (₹17.2 crore), Australia (₹6 crore), the United States (₹22.9 crore), France (₹13.7 crore), South Africa (₹6.1 crore), and the UAE (₹4.2 crore).

While the MEA emphasized that such visits are crucial to advancing India’s global standing, the revelation has sparked debate over the scale and cost of these diplomatic missions.

The opposition, particularly the TMC, is likely to question the return on investment of such expensive tours, especially amid concerns over government spending priorities. However, government officials maintain that the visits have yielded significant gains in terms of strategic partnerships, trade agreements, and foreign investment.

With several bills still pending and more visits likely before the end of the term, the final tally may well surpass the ₹300 crore mark.