Ever since he took over as the Prime Minister of India in 2014, Narendra Modi has toured nations with the frequency and duration of a rock band on a concert tour. Almost everything about PM Modi is divisive, contentious and intensely debated — the futility or the utility of his foreign trips included.
The political objections over his five-nation tour spanning eight days, earlier this month, were yet to die down when the Ministry of External Affairs was soon announcing updates on Modi’s visit to the United Kingdom and Maldives — the 15th and 16th countries visited by the PM in 2025.
“Do not know which countries Magnesia, Galveshia, Tarveshia he has been visiting,” said Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann taking a dig at the PM's tour to Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, Namibia from July 2-July 9. Joining in the list of leaders and Opposition who have time and again questioned Modi’s foreign trips, Mann accused the PM for not being in the nation long enough to address the concerns of 140 crore Indians. “Pradhan Mantri ji has gone to Ghana? Has he come back from Ghana? Will he come back today? He will be welcomed to his own country.” The Ministry of External Affairs deemed the comments “irresponsible and regrettable and one that undermined India’s ties with friendly countries.”
India’s Opposition leaders question foreign visits
This was not the first time that questions over Modi’s foreign trips evoked a response from the Ministry of External Affairs, nor is this the first time that India’s Opposition leaders raised a finger at the purpose and outcome of such visits. Earlier in May, in a scathing attack posted on platform X, Congress president and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, wrote, “In the last 11 years, Prime Minister has made 151 foreign trips and visited 72 countries. Out of these, he has visited the US 10 times. Yet, our country stands alone under the Modi government’s foreign policy. Is the Prime Minister’s job to visit foreign countries and only pose for photos?” The tweet went viral for understandable reasons and also received both support and backlash.
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What the MEA has to say?
In February, the PM visited France and USA, while it was Mauritius in March. His visits to Thailand, Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia in April were followed by a tour of Cyprus, Canada and Croatia in June. While the purpose of such visits is varied; from bilateral talks to diplomacy, his detractors have deemed all the diplomatic endeavours as expensive while questioning their outcome. His supporters, on the other hand, view them as necessary for maintaining foreign relations. While the PM visited Canada to attend the G7 summit, his visit to Brazil was for the BRICS summit. Increasingly, the public relations leg of the GoI finds itself addressing the criticism and questions directed its way. Justifying the visits to Trinidad and Tobago, the MEA said, “It will impart fresh impetus to the deep-rooted and historical ties between the two countries.” Clarifying the purpose of his visit to Argentina, the MEA issued a statement saying that the Prime Minister will hold wide-ranging talks with President Javier Milei to further enhance the India-Argentina partnership in areas of defense, agriculture, trade and investment.
Are they expensive, necessary, futile or fruitful?
Earlier this week, in a written response to questions raised by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’ Brien in the Rajya Sabha, the MEA detailed the expenditure incurred on the PM’s visits across continents. From 2021 to 2025, these visits cost the exchequer Rs 362 crore, excluding the expenses incurred on trips to the UK and Maldives.
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The MEA informed the Rajya Sabha, that the PM made 33 trips abroad from 2021 to 2025 and Rs 362 crore account for his foreign visits up to his five nation tour earlier in July. The bills for three of the foreign visits in 2025 — Canada, Brazil, Mauritius are not fully settled yet. Among these, his trips to France and the United Nations cost the highest, Rs 25.50 crore and Rs 16.54 crore for the one day-day trip to US respectively. Back then, a few political influencers opined how many of his nine engagements in France like inaugurating a new Indian consulate or visit to a war memorial could have been easily scuttled.
The memes have a field day
Any political storm readily lends itself to satire and sarcasm, with stand-up comedians, cartoonists, mimic artists and memes providing the much-needed humour, if not informed perspective. It is not just the PM’s personal entourage working overtime when he shuttles time zones, it is also the MEA justifying the purpose and the Opposition questioning the outcomes of such visits. Interest, scrutiny, questions and justifications over any amount of tax payers’ money is a great thing in democracy, more so if it happens to run in hundreds of crores and spent by the elected leader of the nation.
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