New Delhi, August 6 (ANI): Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that expenditure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits has exceeded Rs 74.58 crore so far in 2026, while cumulative spending on his overseas trips since 2021 has surpassed Rs 550 crore.
In a written reply, Margherita said the highest expenditure among the Prime Minister’s foreign visits for which figures are available this year was incurred during the Norway leg of his five-nation tour in May, totaling Rs 17.46 crore.
According to the reply, expenditure on the Prime Minister’s foreign visits totaled more than Rs 180 crore in 2025, Rs 109 crore in 2024, Rs 93 crore in 2023, Rs 55 crore in 2022, and Rs 36 crore in 2021. The ministry noted that several expenditure figures for 2026 are provisional and will be finalized after the settlement of bills, while expenses related to the Prime Minister’s June visit to France are still being compiled.
The Ministry of External Affairs said high-level visits by the Prime Minister are an established means of strengthening India’s bilateral, regional, and global engagement across sectors including technology, trade and investment, defense, energy, and resilient supply chains.
The ministry also informed the Rajya Sabha that 316 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements have been signed during Prime Minister Modi’s foreign visits since July 2021. It added that India received total foreign direct investment (FDI) of USD 381.8 billion between April 2021 and December 2025.
According to the ministry, the agreements span a wide range of sectors, including defense, trade and investment, digital technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, renewable energy, health care, education, agriculture, space cooperation, mobility and migration, climate action, and cultural exchanges.
The ministry said the agreements are intended to strengthen India’s bilateral partnerships and expand cooperation with countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Oceania, and the Americas. (ANI)
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