New Delhi- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s numerous international visits between 2021 and July 2025, though aimed at strengthening India’s global partnerships, have collectively cost the government close to Rs300 crore. The figures were disclosed by the Ministry of External Affairs in response to a written question from TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien.
According to the data, Rs67 crore was spent on five of Modi’s foreign visits in just the first three months of 2025, which included trips to the United States, France, Mauritius, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Saudi Arabia. His France visit from February 10 to 13 cost over Rs25.59 crore, while the US trip during the same time period amounted to Rs16.54 crore. His travels to Thailand and Sri Lanka in April cost around Rs4.92 crore and Rs4.46 crore respectively. The visit to Saudi Arabia in late April involved an expenditure of nearly Rs15.54 crore.
Although visits to Mauritius, Cyprus, Canada, Croatia, Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia took place between March and July, the government noted that expenses for these are still being finalized.
Earlier in 2024, the Prime Minister travelled to the UAE and Qatar in February, with the Qatar leg alone costing over Rs3.14 crore. His March visit to Bhutan incurred a cost of Rs4.50 crore, while the June visit to Italy cost over Rs14.36 crore. In July, his Austria and Russia visits cost Rs4.35 crore and Rs5.34 crore, respectively.
Between August and September 2024, Modi visited Poland and Ukraine, with expenses of Rs10.10 crore and Rs2.52 crore respectively. Visits to Brunei and Singapore cost around Rs50 lakh and Rs7.75 crore. The September trip to the United States cost over Rs15.33 crore, while travel to Laos in October added another Rs3 crore. The same month, a second visit to Russia cost over Rs10.74 crore.
In November 2024, a multi-nation tour covering Nigeria, Brazil, and Guyana racked up additional costs. Nigeria’s leg amounted to Rs4.46 crore, Brazil Rs5.51 crore, and Guyana Rs5.45 crore. Modi’s visit to Kuwait in December cost over Rs2.54 crore.
The year 2023 saw the Prime Minister visiting 11 countries across six official tours between May and December. The expenses were substantial: Rs17.19 crore for Japan, Rs6.06 crore for Australia, Rs22.89 crore for the United States, Rs13.74 crore for France, Rs6.11 crore for South Africa, and Rs4.28 crore for the UAE.
While these diplomatic missions aim to reinforce India’s global outreach, they have also drawn scrutiny for their significant financial implications, with taxpayers ultimately footing the bill for the expanding foreign policy engagements.
